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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26023138">Crimson Beetle and Chartreux Noire</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SymphonicScream/pseuds/SymphonicScream'>SymphonicScream</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>15-16, Alix and Kim are the main focus for now, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, But theyre still there, Chloé Bourgeois Redemption, F/F, F/M, Kwami Swap, Ladybug!Kim, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Some Swearing, Will diverge from canon more as we go, adrien and marinette are side characters, cat!alix, characters aged up to be like 15, for now at least, for some, it's what she deserves, jocks au, jocks gone feral, no salt, not all are slow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:33:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>84,578</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26023138</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SymphonicScream/pseuds/SymphonicScream</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>With Hawk Moth wreaking havoc through Paris with his champion akumas, the city must rely on their heroes to keep them safe from harm. Unfortunately for Paris, their heroes are a pair of feral jocks.</p><p>Or, a kwami swap au where Kim gets the ladybug and Alix gets the cat, and everything that comes to be from that</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Kagami Tsurugi, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Luka Couffaine, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Kagami Tsurugi, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Aurore Beauréal/Sabrina Raincomprix, Chloé Bourgeois/Alix Kubdel, Ivan Bruel/Mylène Haprèle, Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant, Luka Couffaine/Kagami Tsurugi, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marc Anciel/Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Kagami Tsurugi, Max Kanté/Lê Chiến Kim</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>283</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>304</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Origins Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The butterfly Miraculous has awaken, and Master Fu must choose the newest holders for the ladybug and the cat. Unfortunately, he runs into Paris' most feral jocks.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The first day of school was never a big deal for Alix. Hell, it was just another day, the only thing that changed was the start of a new year of being bored in class. Big deal. If she wanted to be bored, she’d ask her older brother Jalil about one of those gods he knew so much about. Sure, she knew about them too, but he was awful at explaining things. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Getting up and ready for school was never an issue when you live with Jalil Kubdel. That man woke with the sun each morning, and had Alix up a whole two hours before she needed to be in class. She was late to class exactly once last year, and ever since he had insisted on seeing her out the door extra early. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good morning, Alix!” Jalil chimed from the stove, struggling to control the eggs in his pan. Good grief, he was cooking again. “Excited to start school?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No, she thought, resting her head on her arms as she watched her brother cook with weary eyes. She didn’t want to get a lecture, so she minced her words. “I guess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jalil tsked slightly, before letting out a little scream as some bits of scrambled egg hopped out of the pan onto his arm. “You’re allowed to be excited about this, Alix. You do know that, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, Jalil.” Alix rolled her eyes, getting up to grab some eggs before her brother flung them all over the kitchen. “I just don’t see the big deal, it’s just another dumb day at school.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“New beginnings are always a big deal!” Alix heard a quiet “yip”, followed by a clang. Yep, there went the eggs. “Change can bring about so many new and exciting things, Alix. You just have to be open to them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yeah, she was not in the mood for cryptic life advice from her brother as he scraped his breakfast off of the kitchen floor, which meant it was time for Alix to be leaving. “Save it for any museum tours you do, I’ve gotta go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was calming for Alix to skate to school. The grooves and dips in the sidewalk under her wheels just helped soothe her mind, helped her keep her cool. If the day ahead was wearing down on her too much, like when a big test was scheduled, Alix would take a few extra turns to feel that peacefulness for just a minute longer. Paris was a beautiful city to skate through in the mornings, and luckily for Alix, she was early enough that there was still a light fog slowly lifting from the streets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix turned a corner, about to skate by the set of stairs leading up to some random building, when something caught her eye. At the top of the stairs was a short old man in a hawaiian shirt, struggling to watch his step around his comically large grocery bags. Alix watched him struggle for a second longer, before tugging her skates off quickly and rushing up to help him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here, sir, let me give you a hand.” Alix reached out to take one of the bags, biting back a frown at the realization that she was only just taller than the man. Curse her stupid short genes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The little man smiled, watching her in a way that made Alix shudder. It wasn’t bad, per se, but it felt weird, as if he was looking right through her. “Oh, thank you so much, young miss. You’re too kind.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix saw the man off, before backtracking to her skates. With that little stop, she’d have to actually race to school if she wanted first crack at the seats. Well, so much for her relaxing skate to school. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kim was so psyched for school to be back on. Sure, he loved summer vacation, who didn’t? But Kim just can’t deny how much he enjoys seeing all his friends every day. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t just about seeing them. He spent the entire summer showing his cousins around Paris, and while he loved his cousins, none of them took part in his little competitions. Like, c’mon, couldn’t they at least have done it just once for him?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While his cousins couldn’t be bothered to humour him, Kim knew he could get his classmates to join in for one every now and then. How could they resist? If Kim taunted them just right, they’d be willing to do almost anything. He had his exceptions, of course. He’d been friends with Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Nino Lahiffe long enough to consider them outside his competition zone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kim didn’t live very far from the school. Hell, he lived like a street over, so he never had any reason to rush in the mornings. Well, Marinette was constantly late, but she had told him about how late she typically stayed up, so Kim could count her as an exception here, too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both of his parents worked rather early, so Kim ate his breakfast sandwich alone before locking up. A quick detour had Kim passing by the Dupain-Cheng bakery to catch a whiff of their decadent pastries, and then his school was in sight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While he waited for the lights to change so he could cross the street, Kim spied an incredibly short old man beside him about to step off the curb while his bags blocked his eyes. Kim shot an arm out, jostling the man back onto the safe part of the street. “You’ll wanna watch your feet there, mister. Wouldn’t be cool to watch a truck make you drop all your stuff.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, thank you, young man.” Kim smiled back awkwardly, eying the light for the change. The little man was watching him too closely for his comfort. “So thoughtful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as the light changed, Kim dashed across the street. One of his cousins was an investigator in America, and had told him too many stories about guys his age being taken off the streets for human trading or something. Kim didn’t wanna risk it, and sprinted up the school steps.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Most of the students were milling around the courtyard or their lockers, but Kim wanted to get the best seat in the house. The third row of the class was the perfect place; it was an equal distance from Nino’s favoured back row and Marinette’s spot in the second. He didn’t want to sit beside his friends, even Kim knew that he would only distract him, and he needed someone new to dare and challenge all year.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nino was already sitting in his seat at the back, Alix and Mylene were all set up in the second row, and Nathaniel was sitting in the back on the other side of the isle. Kim grinned at Nino as he took the seat in front of him, excited to be spending another year leaning back to distract the boy with the hat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On the other side of Paris, in a small shop, Master Fu was carefully removing two black and red boxes from their secret hiding places.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you absolutely sure that you’ve chosen right, Master?” Wayzz flitted about anxiously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fu took a moment to think. The two didn’t appear to match the powers he was about to give them, but he felt it himself. “Yes, they are the ones we need.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ivan stumbled out of his desk, ready to finally leave class for break. Maybe he could use this time to brainstorm ways to confess his feelings to Mylene? Just the thought of the girl had his face growing hot, his heart racing, and kicked the butterflies in his stomach into high gear. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he could make it to the door, he ran into one of his classmates in his daze. “Oh, I’m so sorry, excuse me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh, what, you can’t even watch where you’re going?” Oh dear Lord, he’d walked right into Chloe! The little heiress glared up at him, stomping her foot and huffing and puffing. He was done for. “I could have you ended for this, Igor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, ended.” Oh no, Sabrina was there too! </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ivan backed away slowly, nervously glancing between the two girls. “I’m- I’m sorry, Chloe, it will never happen again, I promise?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chloe hummed as she thought it over, before she suddenly reached out and ripped a scrap of paper out of his backpack. Oh shit. “Now, what do we have here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina leaned over the blonde’s shoulder, one hand reaching up to adjust her glasses. “Ooh, it looks like a love note, Chlo!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My oh my, is big strong Igor in love?” Chloe taunted, snickering and speaking in a baby voice. “I think the big guy’s afraid to ask out his crush, Sabrina!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ivan had enough. He grabbed the paper back from Chloe, and pushed through the girls to run off to his locker. Yeah, Ivan</span>
  <em>
    <span> was</span>
  </em>
  <span> afraid to ask out Mylene, the prettiest girl he knew. And now? Now Chloe knew, and there was no way that she was going to keep that to herself! She’d tell everyone and then they’d all laugh at him, at how he thought he could ever have a chance with Mylene!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ivan barely felt it as the black butterfly merged with his note, but he felt the purple haze grow over his eyes, and he definitely heard the voice that spoke to him from seemingly nowhere. “Stoneheart, I am Hawk Moth, and I come to you with an offer. If you wish to keep the secrets of your heart, Stoneheart, all I ask in return for my aide is your unwavering loyalty. Do we have a deal?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You got it, Hawk Moth.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Over at the sports stadium, things had quickly divulged into another of Kim’s dumb challenges. Alix was usually all for his bets, but damn it, she’d been looking forward to just getting to run around and kick things with no consequence all morning! But of course where Kim was involved, a bet was soon to follow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time, Kim had been bragging about being able to score more goals from the centre line than anyone present, and Max had kindly informed him that the chances were slim, considering Mr D’Argencourt was present, which had led to all of them taking turns scoring in order to prove Kim wrong. Alix was not a fan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as Kim was about to step up and take the next shot, one of the custodians came running out of the storage room, shouting about a monster attacking the school. Mr D’Argencourt started rushing them out of the field, insisting they head home to be with their families until it was safe to return to school once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Great, Alix thought as she tugged her rollerskates back on for her skate home. Both her dad and Jalil were likely still back at the Louvre, and the chances were that the museum was under lockdown. That meant Alix was skating back to an empty house once more. Luckily her place was closer to the sports centre than the school, so she’d be home quick.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as Alix stepped through the door, she slumped against it, dropping her bag with a huff. She looked over in confusion at the clatter that came from it, before spotting a red and black box peeking out of her bag that she definitely didn’t put in there. She reached for the box slowly, turning it in her hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She carefully pulled back the lid, and immediately dropped the box when a black blur zipped free. She definitely didn’t scream, and totally didn’t fall back and hit her head on the door either. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The black blur took the form of a small, floating black cat, who opened its little mouth in a yawn. “Man, it feels good to be out of there again! Oh, hey, Alix!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Holy fuck, the little cat thing could talk. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It knew her name! </span>
  </em>
  <span>“How the fuck do you know my name?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We don’t have time for that now.” It waved her off, reaching into the box to pull out the ring that Alix had somehow missed. “You gotta put this on, then you’re gonna go fight that akuma!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You mean the monster at the school?” Alix gingerly took the ring from the floating cat, turning it over in her hands. It looked like a rather expensive ring, all smooth edges and cool, shiny metal. “Wait, you want me to fight that thing? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Me?!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The small cat rolled its eyes, nudging the ring onto Alix’s finger. “That’s what I just said. Jeez, did you humans get stupider since I’ve been gone? Okay, look. This ring is a Miraculous, and I’m you kwami, Plagg! While you’re wearing that, I can grant you the cat’s power of destruction so you can help the holder of the ladybug Miraculous defeat the akuma. Got it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe Alix hit her head on the door too hard, yeah, that would explain this weird fever dream she was having. She stared back at Plagg with wide eyes, trying to blink hard enough that he’d disappear. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Plagg sighed, flying closer to her again, holding one of her fingers in his little nub hands. “Look kid, I know it’s a lot to take in, but you were chosen for a reason! If you just give yourself a chance, you’ll end up proving that to yourself, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix remembered what Jalil had said that morning, about opening up to new experiences. Hell, if this was a dream, there was no harm in it, was there? Her mind made up, Alix pulled herself to her feet and met Plagg’s eyes. “Alright, fine, let’s do this. What do I have to do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, we’re in business now, Kitten!” Plagg cheered, flying in a little loop. “To use your power, just say Cataclysm, and anything you touch will be destroyed! But you can only use it once, and your transformation will drop soon afterwards. Now, to activate your transformation, just say Plagg, claws out!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Welp, Alix thought, there was no going back now. “Plagg, claws out!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At that same moment, Kim was cowering, uhm, standing bravely in the corner of his kitchen, wielding a knife against a little red and black fairy. “Stay back! I, I know how to use this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The little creature laughed at him, flying right through his knife. “I’m not going to hurt you, Kim! My name is Tikki, I’m your kwami!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nuh uh, I’ve heard the stories, get the hell away from me!” Dropping the knife in fright, Kim ducked under the kwami and dashed into the living room. He leaped over the couch to grab one of the slippers his dad left lying around. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know that monster out there, Kim?” Tikki asked him, pointing in the direction of the school. “That’s an akuma, and if we work together, I can grant you the power to defeat it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Powers?” Okay, if he was being honest, Kim was a bit of a superhero nerd. I mean, who isn’t? He spent his younger years staring wide eyed at the TV as cartoons of men and women in spandex fought the bad guys and saved the day, so sue him if his interest was suddenly apparent. “You mean you can turn me into a superhero?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tikki giggled, and carried over the box she’d flown out of earlier. The earrings inside glinted up at Kim. “Exactly! When you put on these earrings and say Tikki, spots on, I can grant you the ladybug’s power of creation in the form of your Lucky Charm!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kim reached out, and quickly put on the earrings. He sure was lucky his older sister had convinced him to get them pierced at the beginning of summer. “Alright, then, Tikki, spots on!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, Kim-” Tikki started, before she was sucked into the earrings. Light danced around Kim as he transformed, and he could feel the power flowing through him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the light faded, Kim raced to the mirror at the end of the hall to get a good look at himself. He was covered in a primarily red, shiny material covered in black spots, including a little domino mask. His upper chest, lower arms, and lower legs were covered in an extra layer of padding that was primarily black with red spots. Trailing down from his shoulders were two long, nearly clear capes that kinda looked like wings, and the blond tips his sister had dyed into his hair were now red. Attached to his hip was a little red and black yo-yo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I look so fucking cool!” Kim exclaimed, spinning in front of the mirror before sticking a cool hero pose. This was every one of his childhood dreams come true, and it was so much cooler than he ever imagined! Now all he needed was the cool hero name for people to cheer as he saved the day!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What had Tikki said, he had the power of the ladybug? Ladybug was too plain of a name, he couldn’t just call himself Ladybug! Oh, they were beetles, weren’t they? Okay, so something Beetle, that would be cool. Wasn’t there some other name for red or something?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I got it! Crimson Beetle!” Yeah, that was a kick ass name, perfect for Kim! Now, he had a city to save! Kim ran over to one of the windows that lead out to the alley behind his house, and climbed out carefully onto the ledge. He took the yo-yo into his hand, and threw it in the direction of the school. It was hero time!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took a few swings for Kim- no, Crimson Beetle- to get the hang of it, but soon he was swinging into the school through one of the holes busted in the side. He ran through the door of the classroom he’d landed in, and looked over the ledge of the courtyard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Below, a giant stone creature that was vaguely human shaped was swinging at a small girl dressed in black and green as she jumped about the courtyard. She swung out with a small silver pole, and as she hit the monster, it grew larger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Crimson Beetle cursed. Someone was here to steal his spotlight! Ugh, he’d forgotten about the chances of someone else getting cool awesome superpowers at the same time! He jumped down, using his yo-yo to launch him into the girl and send both of them flying down the hallway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, what the fuck was that?!” The girl shouted, trying to grapple herself free from his arms. Now that he was closer, Beetle could get a better look at her. Her costume was cat themed, from the green and black ears on top of the hood of her jacket, to the little silver bell resting at her neck, to the high top sneakers that looked like cat feet. The fluff of brown hair that stuck out of her hood had green streaks painted into it, and it fell in front of her solid black mask and her eyes; one icer blue, one bright green. Green accents arched over her jacket and black pants, and covered the back of her otherwise black gloves. “If you hadn’t noticed, I was fighting the thing attacking the school, dumbass!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh I saw you alright.” Beetle growled, dusting himself off. Now that they were both standing, it struck him how short she was. “And I’m not gonna stand by while you steal my thunder. I can take this one on my own, so you better run home, you stray.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you just call me?!” The girl growled at him, and as she scowled, she revealed that her teeth were sharpened like a cat’s fangs. He thought she was working too hard to maintain her punk furry aesthetic. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Crimson Beetle leered over her, using one hand to push down on her hood. “I called you a stray cat, stray. Now run along so I, Crimson Beetle, can tear that rock bitch a new one!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cat-girl rolled her eyes, scoffing. “Fat chance, Beetle Boy. I’m supposed to be your partner, or did your kwami skip that part of the speech? And stop calling me a stray, my name is Chartruex Noire!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your name is green black?” That was a lame ass name. Fitting for some dumb cat-girl, the ladybug hero mused. “Wait, you have a kwami too?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chartreux groaned loudly, throwing her head back. “Chartreux, not chartreuse. It’s a damn cat breed. Did your kwami tell you anything?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The stone monster, the akuma, he remembered, shook the building, and Crimson Beetle shielded his head. “It’s still a stupid name, you should’ve kept it simple and went with, like, Chat Noire. Now scram, I’ve got an akuma to fight!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He raced back out to the courtyard, where the rock beast was looming over his new classmate, Alya, who was recording it on her phone while slowly being pulled away by Marinette. Alright, time to take his powers for a test run! “Lucky charm!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A red and black package dropped into his hands, and it took him a second to recognize it as a large piece of those bandages that stick extra well when they get wet. What the hell was he supposed to do with this?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good going, moron!” Chartreux punched him in the arm as she dashed out in front of him to crouch, revealing the green paw print spray painted on the back of her jacket and the tail that extended from the back of her belt. “When you use your power, you only have a few minutes left to your transformation! Now we’re on a time crunch, thanks to you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She bounced off at the creature, using it as a boost to flip up onto the railing above it. Crimson Beetle cursed, trying to figure out how to use his dumb raft while that damn cat got to fight the stone creature. As he looked around, items in the room began to appear red, covered in black spots. The bandage, the akuma’s fist, the fire sprinklers on the roof. In a second, a plan had formed in his mind, and unfortunately, it included Chartreux Noire. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey! Cat girl!” Crimson Beetle called, waving at her from the ground. “I think that thing’s holding something! Can you activate the sprinklers somehow?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The thing whirled on him at the sound of his voice, and started stomping towards him. “My name is Stoneheart, and nothing can stop me from keeping what’s in my heart a secret!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While he was distracted, Chartreux Noire leaped up at the ceiling, reaching one clawed hand towards the sprinklers. “Cataclysm!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pipes rusted and turned to dust at her touch, and soon a torrent of water was raining down from the ceiling. Crimson Beetle used his yo-yo to fling himself at Stoneheart, slamming the bandage over the akuma’s eyes. As he predicted, the stone creature lurched backwards, flinging both fists at his face to pry off the bandage, dropping what he was holding in the process.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Crimson Beetle dropped down next to it, and ripped the piece of paper in half, releasing a dark butterfly. As if fluttered away, Stoneheart faded until only Ivan was sitting in his place, looking awfully confused. Chartreux landed safely beside him, patting the big guy’s shoulder as she brought the sopping bandage back to its owner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice thinking there, partner.” She said sarcastically, pressing the wet fabric into his chest. “Now clean up this mess so we can get out of here, I’m already sick of you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Crimson Beetle stared at the bandage for a moment, before deciding to throw it up. It dissolved into a flurry of little ladybugs, and in seconds the school was back to normal. He blinked around at the newly fixed building, before his earrings and Chartreux’s ring started beeping at them. “Well, I hope I never see you again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And like that, Crimson Beetle bolted after the end of his first fight, swinging back to his house to drop his transformation.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alix landed back in her room with a huff, practically growling out her claws in. Plagg appeared in front of her as she returned to normal, hovering lazily. “You got any cheese in this place?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you’ve got some questions to answer, mister!” Alix grabbed the little cat, narrowing her eyes at him. “What was the deal with that Beetle guy? You said I was supposed to help him, but he was acting like a big asshole!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Plagg phased through her hand, flying over to nestle into her open sock drawer. “I’m just as boggled as you are, Kitten. I’ve never seen a Ladybug act like that guy before. Hopefully next time he’ll be better. So, about that cheese?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix grunted, slipping out into the hallway to walk to the kitchen to search the fridge. Plagg followed behind her, and settled on the couch after turning the TV on by bouncing on the remote. Alix sifted through the deli drawer, pushing through lunch meats and different blocks of her dad’s gourmet cheeses that Jalil was banned from using. “You want anything in particular?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have any camembert?” Of course the little cat wanted that damn stinky cheese. Alix dug out a block of the stuff from the back of the drawer, breaking off a decent chunk to feed to the kwami. “You’re the best, Kitten.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She grabbed a Caprisun for herself, and settled down next to Plagg. She only relaxed for a second before she was bolting back up again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On the news, they were reporting people all over Paris getting hit by those dark butterflies like the one that Crimson Beetle released, and turning into stone statue versions of Stoneheart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Plagg, is that supposed to happen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The little cat watched the screen carefully, before looking up at her slowly. “He didn’t cleanse the akuma?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No?” Alix shook her head, trying to recall if Crimson Beetle had done anything like that. She couldn’t come up with anything. “He used the lucky charm and then fixed everything at the end.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Plagg stared at the TV in worry, before slumping against the couch. “Well, fuck.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for coming everyone, I hoped you enjoyed! I've been working on this AU on Tumblr (a/symphonic-scream) for a bit and I finally got this written out! Let me know if you spot any errors, I may have missed a few in my review. Let me know what you think while you're here!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Origins Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kim and Alix must fix the mistakes they made during their debut as Crimson Beetle and Chartreux Noire. Will these two jocks ever get along? Will Kim think anything through? Wait, is that child model Adrien Agreste? Some of these questions will be answered, some won't, but one thing that can be guaranteed is that CB and CN will try their best.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Okay so I wanna make this very clear: I'm watching this show for the first time as I'm writing this. So, if I get anything wrong that is made clear in later episodes of theshow, please let me know!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Okay, so apparently, Kim fucked up. It definitely wasn’t the first time, but according to Tikki, this one was bad. Normally when Kim fucked up, it was something small that could be fixed with apologies, favours, or treats bought from Marinette’s parents. This? Well, with the way Tikki was treating the whole situation, he may as well have blown up the moon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You acted too rashly, Kim!” The little kwami floated around Kim while he was sitting on the floor of his bedroom stretching. “If you had just waited for me to explain, you would have known that you had to cleanse the akuma!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jeez, I know, Tikki.” Kim grunted. The little bug had been lecturing him for a few hours now, with a quick visit to the Dupain-Cheng bakery to pick up some cookies for her in between. “Look, I’m sorry! But it didn’t help that there was another hero already there. Why couldn’t she just cure it or whatever?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tikki stopped in front of his face, placing her little hands on the end of his nose and staring into his eyes. “The user of the cat miraculous has the power of destruction, Kim. Chartreux Noire was chosen to be your partner, to help you fight the akuma. Only the ladybug can purify an akuma.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds fake, but okay.” Yeah, as if Kim needed a partner. Sure, that stray </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> help him a little bit during that fight, but Kim would’ve been perfectly fine on his own! He was the top athlete at Dupont, there was nothing he couldn’t do! Next chance he got, he’d show Paris how great a hero he is! “I gotta go to bed, Tikki, so you can save the rant for the morning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The little bug didn’t seem content to leave things where they were, but Kim climbed into bed and turned his back on his kwami. Tomorrow, he vowed. Tomorrow he was going to shine!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Somehow Alix was dreading the second day of school more than the first. After the whole ordeal that was Ivan becoming a giant stone monster, they had been given the afternoon off. Which was great, don’t get Alix wrong. Any moment away from school was a good one in her books, but sitting around with nothing to do but watch the news and bond with her new tiny cat friend was a new sort of hell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The cherry on her punishment sundae was the reporters talking about Paris’ new heroes, referring to them as “fine young men”. Plagg had laughed so hard he’d tumbled off the couch when he heard that one, so Alix hid the rest of his cheese on him. At least the reporters were taking her seriously. Next time she saw that smug beetle bastard, she was giving him a piece of her mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The skate to school was uneventful, and all too soon Alix was sliding into her seat behind where that new girl Alya would be sitting when she eventually made it into the classroom. Most of the class was out in the hallway talking to Ivan, and Alix silently wished that they’d all leave the poor boy alone. The longer they held off him becoming Stoneheart again, the longer Alix had to prepare her epic roast speech of Crimson Beetle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the class slowly filtered in, Alix felt her attention once again stray to one Chloe Bourgeois. Alix’s history with the blonde girl dated back to when they were six, attending the various parties hosted by Paris’ richest and most elite. While their parents were busy talking and Jalil had run off with his own friends, Alix, Chloe, and Adrien Agreste played together as friends. At school, Chloe wouldn’t spare Alix the time of day, which at the time Alix had no problems with. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Chloe she knew from the parties wasn’t the spoiled brat she saw at school, and it was jarring sometimes. Hidden away in the halls of the rich guy of the week, it was like she let herself go. Alix didn’t know Adrien outside of those parties, but she doubted he couldn’t be Mr Sunshine all the time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was that period of time where Alix, her father and Jalil avoided those parties like the plague, around the time her mother first fell ill, and until her death when Alix was ten. It took Alix a year to be able to attend the parties again, and when she returned, she’d found Sabrina in her place by Chloe’s side. Adrien had welcomed her back in without question, and the other two seemed to play along. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Things hadn’t changed in a while. Alix hasn’t seen Adrien in half a year, when his own mother died. Chloe was a whole new breed of bitch at school for a while after Emilie passed, and they avoided each other at the parties when Adrien was gone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So yes, Alix had been surprised when Chloe announced that Adrien was joining their class yesterday, but she was less surprised when he was a no show. As if Mr Agreste would ever let his lap-son off his leash. Yet, here Chloe was again, loudly declaring that she was awaiting the arrival of her good friend Adrien.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then, to her absolute astonishment, Adrien Agreste himself walked through the classroom door. He’d grown since she’d last seen him, but he was still the same smiling model boy. He was looking around the classroom in awe, and his face brightened when he saw Chloe and Sabrina. “Chloe, Sabrina! Hey! I made it, you guys!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Adrikins!” Chloe squealed, sweeping the boy up in her arms. Sabrina was smiling beside the pair, who were taking turns spinning each other around. “I just knew uncle Gabriel would give in eventually! Oh, I have </span>
  <em>
    <span>so </span>
  </em>
  <span>much class dish to catch you up on, right, Sabrina?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yes, a ton!” Sabrina nodded, letting out a light yelp as Adrien dragged her into their hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adrien finally let the girls go, and he looked more like his six-year-old self than he had in years. “Thank you both for helping me convince him, I couldn’t have done this without either of you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of the class was watching on in confusion, and Alix would be doing the same if she hadn’t become so used to the dynamic those three had. Huh, Chloe was actually smiling one of the real, pretty smiles she only used when they managed to escape their parents during those dumb parties. Oh yeah, the others must be terrified, since Alix was getting that weird, fluttering feeling in her stomach again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Miss Bustier cleared her throat, and everyone scrambled back into their seats. Chloe guided Adrien to the seat she had saved for him, and Alix finally looked away. If she wasn’t careful, someone would catch her staring at them like an owl, and she wasn’t in the mood to get another lecture from Chloe about the agreement they made as children.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After class, as Alix was trying to get to her locker as fast as possible, she felt a hand come down on her shoulder. “Alix! Hey, I can’t believe it’s really you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh fuck, Adrien found her. Alix looked around quickly for any witnesses before turning towards the model. “Yo, Agreste, what do you need?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I was just wondering why you were sitting so far from Chloe and Sabrina in class today.” Adrien followed her into the locker room, head tilted like a confused puppy. “I thought that since we’re all friends that we’d all be sitting together?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix sighed, and glanced around again. Damn, she was hoping that she wouldn’t have to explain this whole mess to the boy today. Or ever, really. “Look, Adrien, no matter how much you wish life could be just like it is in your high school anime, it isn’t. Chloe and I aren’t friends at school, we never were. She’s different here, meaner. Just, don’t be surprised if she asks you to stay away from her at school, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She left him standing there, and it felt like she’d just kicked a kitten or something. Ugh, if he told Chloe what she’d said, she was bound to be getting the Marinette treatment by the end of the week. At least she’d still have Max to talk to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Plagg zipped out of Alix’s pocket as she started her skate home for lunch, floating along beside her head as she weaved through the surprisingly empty streets of Paris. “What was that all about, Kitten?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t wanna talk about it, Plagg.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What, cat got your tongue?” Plagg stuck his own out at her, moving so he was in front of her. “Bottling up isn’t good, Kitten. Plus, a nice angry rant to your local cat god may just help relieve some of that stress. Or, ooh, my favourite option, we go prank your brother at work!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A loud crash was heard from the direction of the school, and suddenly one of the Stoneheart monsters started to come to life at the end of the street. “Fuck. Guess that’s gonna have to wait. Plagg, claws out!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kim had still been at the school, and after a quick transformation, Crimson Beetle was swinging after Stoneheart. The rock monster was carrying two of Kim’s classmates, Chloe and Mylene, and was headed in the direction of the Eiffel Tower. And, the cherry on his sundae, that green black furry hero hadn’t shown up. Finally, Kim was going to have his chance to show Paris how cool and awesome he really was!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marinette, look!” Alya shouted as she biked after him, Marinette holding on to her for dear life from behind. “I told you he’d come! Quick, grab the handlebars, I gotta get my phone out to record this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh jeez, did that girl have a death wish? Kim shook his head, focusing back on Stoneheart only to smack right into one of the minions. He scrambled away as it tried to grab at him, and used his yo-yo to pull himself up onto a nearby rooftop. Down below, Alya was trying to record the stone minions, who were now turning on her and Marinette. The one that Kim smacked into picked up a car and tossed it at the two girls, trapping them against the wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kim turned his head to watch Stoneheart OG as he got farther away, before turning back to the two girls. The minions had left them alone and that Miracle fix thing would save them at the end, probably, so </span>
  <em>
    <span>technically</span>
  </em>
  <span> he could just leave them to stop Stoneheart. But what would his favourite childhood superheroes do?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Crimson Beetle threw his yo-yo at the car, and tugged until the two girls were able to crawl out. “Viewers, you will not believe this update; we were just saved by Crimson Beetle himself! Oh, he’s leaving now, fuck. Hold on, everyone, we’re gonna chase him so you won’t miss the action! Marinette, hurry up, I can’t steer and record!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That new girl confused Kim to no end, but he’d think about that later. Or not. He had plans to scour the internet in the hopes of reading all the praise that would be written for Crimson Beetle, who was him! He was him, he! Him? Whatever, he wouldn’t be thinking later and that’s what matters. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stoneheart had already arrived at the Eiffel Tower and was beginning to climb it, his minion guarding the structure from below. The police and Mayor Bourgeois had already set up a barricade somehow, and was that Adrien Agreste down there as well? How many of Kim’s classmates were wandering around chasing after stone monsters? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of the officers turned to Kim as he landed, crossing his arms. “Scram, kid, leave this to the professionals. We’ve got everything under control!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah? And where were you when he attacked the first time, huh?” Crimson Beetle fired back, smirking like he knew he’d already won. “Check and mate, officer man. I got this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, I don’t think either of you got this.” Adrien spoke up, pointing up at the tower. Stoneheart had managed to get about halfway up the Eiffel Tower, and was now rearing one arm back to throw Chloe towards where her father stood on a cop car. Oh, fuck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kim raced forward as the monster threw his snooty classmate, trying to line himself up with where she might land. Suddenly, a dark shape jumped out from a clump of the stone minions, grabbing Chloe right out of the air and landing safely at Crimson Beetle’s feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Damn it, Kim swore mentally, it was that damn cat hero. Her hood must’ve fallen off when she caught Chloe, because it was now pooled around her shoulders, her brown and green hair free. It looked like a fluffy mess, and two leather cat ears stuck out from the top of her head. Just like the ears on her hood, the outsides were black, and the insides green. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay, Miss Bourgeois?” The cat hero asked, standing slowly, still holding the blonde girl in her arms. “Did I hurt you in any way?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chloe’s face started to turn red, and Kim imagined it was from the rush of being thrown and almost dying. “Oh, uh, yeah. No! No, you’re fine, I’m fine! You can put me down now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, Kim thought, that was weird. When she was back on the ground, Chloe scampered back to her father, who wrapped his arms around her tightly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve got some nerve showing up again, stray.” Crimson Beetle glared at the cat hero.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shook out her hair, before pulling her hood back up over it. Huh, so the ears on the hood were like the finger holes on gloves. Wild. “Well, Beetle Boy, you better get used to me, cause I’m not going anywhere. I’m your partner, whether you like it or not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I choose not!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at him like he was an idiot. Which, well, was kinda fair. He didn’t really think that one through.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uhm, hello? Boys?” Boys? Oh, that was funny, that cop thought that the furry girl was a dude! Wait, was she? He? Should Kim ask for their pronouns? “Could you either beat that thing or get out of the way so we can do it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, right, the akuma. “Have no fear, Mr Officer, Crimson Beetle will take care of this! On his own.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After directing that last part at that stray cat, Kim started his mad dash for the tower. There was clearly no time to come up with a proper plan, so he hoped he’d get a good lucky charm when he got up there. He used his yo-yo to swing his way up the tower, trying to look as cool as possible. Out of the corner of his eye he saw that cat hero, that damn stray, perched on top of that staff they - she, he? - carried, waving smugly at him as it extended and grew. Damn that cat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once at the top, Kim pointed at Stoneheart, who was holding Mylene close to his chest. “Hey! Rock face! Knock it off, will ya? If you give up now, I’ll go easy on you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As if, little ladybug.” The akuma rumbled, and wow was it weird hearing Ivan’s voice come from a walking pile of rocks. “Not even you or your little cat can keep me and Mylene apart!”</span>
</p><p><span>“She is </span><em><span>not </span></em><span>my</span> <span>cat!” Crimson Beetle shook his fist at Stoneheart, before turning to the cat. “Wait, what are your pronouns, I wanna be correct when I’m insulting you. Mine are he/him.”</span></p><p>
  <span>The furry blinked at him, clawed hands reaching up to toy with the hood of their jacket. “Uh, she/her, please. You could also use my damn name, if you didn’t forget it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kim scoffed. “Oh, I remember it alright! But you may wanna repeat it for Stoneheart, I think he forgot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I remember.” The akuma defended himself. “She’s Chartreux Noire, it’s a type of cat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chartreux turned to him with that little smug smile, one eyebrow raised. “See? He even knows about the cat breed!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever, that’s not important. Lucky charm!” Kim was getting tired of dealing with this fucking cat bitch, so he decided now was a good time to use his superpower. Oh, and he got… “I don’t fucking know what this is!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chartreux Noire peered around him, reaching out one hand to poke it. “It looks like one of the grenades that was used during the first world war. They had a bunch of replicas in the war exhibit they had at the Louvre for a while.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, this is a grenade?” Oh, fuck yeah, Kim could work with this! “Stoneheart, hand over the girl or I’m blowing all of us up!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Woah woah </span>
  <em>
    <span>woah </span>
  </em>
  <span>there, Beetle Boy, let’s think this one through!” The other hero jumped away from him, slowly backing up towards Stoneheart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The akuma was also backing away from him, and was now right up against the railing. “You’re fucking crazy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kim darted his eyes towards Chartreux, before forcefully looking at the railing until she caught his drift. When she did, she winked at him. “Cataclysm!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The railing behind Stoneheart crumbled away, and the akuma started to fall. His rock face looked as panicked as it probably could be as he fell backwards, and he dropped not only Mylene, but the crumpled piece of paper he was holding as well. Kim raced forwards to break the paper and release the akuma. Right as he was about to cleanse it, he saw Chartreux dive off of the Eiffel Tower to catch one of his two falling classmates. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The butterfly can probably wait, he shrugged, jumping after her. He used his yo-yo to speed up his fall, and swooped up Ivan as the boy returned to his normal self. Chartreux had managed to grab Mylene, and all four of them were now safely resting on the ground. Kim looked back up at the tower, ready to start leaping after that butterfly, only to watch as it and like a bajillion others started to form a giant head just like what happened in his favourite scene in Megamind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Greetings, Paris. I am Hawk Moth, the creator of Stoneheart. He was an akuma, my champion, controlled by his strong negative emotions. He failed to complete the mission I gave him, to collect the ladybug earrings and the cat ring from those two supposed heroes that are now running around. I will continue to create my akumas until I get what I want, which again, are the ladybug earrings and cat ring miraculouses used by those two children.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Damn, look at this fool.” Chartreux snorted, pointing at the floating mass of butterflies. “His fucking helmet, man, it’s so stupid looking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Crimson Beetle stifled a laugh, because yeah, she was right. “He looks like Caillou grew up and got edgy, but in a bad way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The floating head turned to them. “Hey, no. Stop that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s acting like Caillou, too.” The cat heroine was now snickering, shaking her head. “Big fucking toddler man.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Big butterfly baby man.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, you will treat me with respect!” Hawk Moth shouted, clearly taking the teasing threats of two heroes to heart. “I will have your miraculouses, I will!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pft, as if.” Kim swung up towards the head, which dispersed into a swell of butterflies. “Yo, Paris, listen up! I’m Crimson Beetle, your new kickass superhero! As long as Hawk Moth baby man keeps making his akumas, I’ll be here to fight them! Me, Crimson Beetle!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He swung out his yo-yo, catching the butterfly that had turned Ivan into Stoneheart, and cleansed it. Out of the yo-yo flew a white butterfly, who flew off into Paris. He threw the grenade that he had been holding that whole time up into the air. “Miraculous Ladybug!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The swarm of bugs was back, and Kim jumped down to join his classmates and that stray on the ground once more as Paris fixed itself. The stone minions returned to normal, and he assumed the railing above was back to normal. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ivan looked very confused, and Mylene was holding on to Chartreux Noire for dear life. Crimson Beetle looked between the two, before picking up the piece of paper he’d had to tear up. “Yo, dude, did you write this? It’s romantic as fuck!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is?” Both Ivan and Mylene asked at the same time. The former was getting more flushed by the second, and the latter was creeping away from the cat hero slowly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah! Hey, Mylene, did you read this? It’s hella sweet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He handed the page to the girl, who’s smile gradually grew as she read it. Kim’s turned to the cat hero, who was smiling at the pair as they discussed their misunderstanding. “So, you did, uh, okay today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She rolled her eyes, and punched his arm. “You did too, bug boy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In retaliation to her punch, Kim knocked his shoulder against hers. She responded back with a harder shove, and they traded shoulder bumps until one of their miraculouses started to beep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll see you around, Beetle Boy.” Chartreux mock saluted him before running off, using her staff to hop up onto the Parisian roofs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kim leapt off himself, taking a quick route home. Hopefully he wouldn’t get a lecture about his performance from Tikki this time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alix had barely made it through the second half of the school day. Who knew that sitting in class after fighting the manifestation of your classmate’s negative emotions would be so difficult? It didn’t help that Plagg was messing around in her bag, or that Alya and Marinette had taken the seats that Chloe and Sabrina had been sitting in, forcing Alix to listen as one of her oldest friends had a lovely conversation with her best friend while actively ignoring her. All in all, Alix was glad the day was over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, she was until she realized she’d be skating home in the rain. Alix sighed deeply as she stepped out into the rain, and she was a few seconds away from pulling Plagg out of her bag and into the rain as he laughed at her from inside her bag.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She probably looked pathetic skating home, alone, getting soaked by the rain. What a sad sight she was. If Alix had any luck, she’d make it home without running into anyone who recognized her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A sleek limo pulled up and crushed her dreams beneath its wet tires. The back door popped open next to her, and the grumpy face of Chloe Bourgeois stared out at her. Alix moved back a few centimetres, staring blankly at the heiress. “What are you doing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s raining.” Chloe stated, raising one hand, palm up, as if to say ‘what are you, and idiot?’ “Get in, I’m giving you a ride home.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll pass. Wouldn’t want to ‘risk your reputation’ if anyone saw me.” Alix turned to skate away, shaking her head. Life wasn’t like Adrien’s anime, she repeated to herself. Miracles don’t happen in real life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, as if to prove her wrong, Alix felt a light hand on her shoulder. She turned around to find Chloe standing in the rain, getting wet, in the </span>
  <em>
    <span>rain</span>
  </em>
  <span>, staring down at her with a seriousness Alix hadn’t seen in a long time. “Look, it’s raining, it’s cold, just get in, alright? I may want to talk to you as well. About what you said to Adrien.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh yep, this was it, her life was ending. She was going to be the new Marinette. “You can say what you need to say out here, Chloe. I’m not climbing into your dad’s limo just so you can harass me in private.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, okay?” Chloe spat, wiping her wet bangs out of her face. Her blue eyes were growing red at the edges, as if she was trying not to cry. Her lips quivered, and one hand raised to clutch at the fabric above her heart. “I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>sorry, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Alix. I, ugh, I don’t even know why I made you agree to that stupid deal, but I regret it, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Okay, did Alix stumble into an alternate universe where Chloe Bourgeois could suddenly empathise with others? “You’re apologising? To me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chloe sighed, rubbing at her eyes with a shaking hand. “Yes, Kubdel, that’s what I just said. Now, would you please climb into the car so we can talk without getting sick?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix nodded hollowly, and climbed into the limo behind the blonde. Chloe listed off Alix’s address to the driver as soon as the door closed, and Alix was again surprised. Since when did Chloe care enough to learn her address?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chloe turned to Alix after taking a moment to check her mascara using her phone. “Look. Adrien chewed me out after your little talk. Well, after that whole thing at the Eiffel Tower. You know what he’s like, he thinks everything is all black and white, all perfect like it is in the movies.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s our boy.” Alix joked weakly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had its desired effect, and the blonde laughed weakly. “Yeah, that’s him. To cut it short, he’s very mad at me, and tried to talk me into inviting you to our movie night tonight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, so this was all because of Adrien, of course. Alix rolled her eyes. “If that’s your way of asking me, you’re gonna have to try harder.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, that’s not it. I’m not inviting you to movie night.” Ouch, that hurt. Not that Alix really wanted to spend the night as the pity invite, but that smack down still hurt. “I wanted to ask if you would be willing to join me on a trip to the Louvre this weekend. Daddy had some spare passes from a press event or something, and you’re there all the time. I thought that maybe you’d be able to show me the best displays?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh yeah, Alix must’ve died or something, because there was no way this was really happening. But when she looked at Chloe, all she saw in her face was years worth of guilt, a sprinkle of hope, and something she couldn’t place that felt so genuine, it warmed Alix enough that she couldn’t feel the chill from the rain on her skin. This was really happening, Chloe was actually reaching out after years of ignoring Alix when Adrien wasn’t around to tell her off for it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to agree, god knows I don’t deserve your acceptance or your forgiveness. I just, I realised something today. I’ve been a real jerk, an asshole, a fucking bitch, all the things we used to call my mother before she left. And after, too. I- I never wanted to be like her, but I always thought everyone expected me to, so I guess at some point, I stopped fighting it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you, and Adrien? At those parties?” The tears were coming now, and Chloe sniffled a little as she tried to wipe them away. “I never felt that. I guess I wanted to keep that feeling sacred, or some bullshit like that. Fuck, Alix, I don’t know. You always treated me like you do everyone else, and I listened to my fucking mother and pushed you away. I don’t deserve you, or Adrien, or Sabrina, but I want to deserve you! I want to deserve them, and I want to try harder.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix blinked at the broken mess on the seat beside her, and didn’t spare a second to think it over before she was pulling the taller girl into her arms. She hadn’t hugged Chloe since they were, like, eight, and it wasn’t like what she remembered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Neither of them were wearing the stuffy dresses they used to wear to those parties. Instead, both were soaked in rain, and Chloe was shaking in her arms. One thing had stayed the same, however; hugging Chloe now felt just as warm as hugging Chloe as a youngster. A rush of warmth bloomed in Alix’s chest, waking up the butterflies that had been hibernating in her stomach all these years.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix pulled away slowly, and reached out to brush the lingering tears off of Chloe’s cheeks. Her face grew warm beneath Alix’s hands, which came to rest on the heiress’ cheeks. “You know, all these years, I never once thought you were like your mom.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t?” Chloe sniffled again, searching her eyes for something Alix hoped to give her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not once.” Alix confirmed. “Sure, you could be a brat at times, but never as bad as your mom. You’re right that I don’t have to forgive you, and I can’t just yet. But, the fact that you’re even doing this right now is all the proof I need to know that you really want to make things better. So, yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chloe tilted her head, and her eyes brightened ever so slightly. “Yes? Yes, what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The car came to a stop, and Alix gave Chloe’s cheek a pat as she started to climb out of the limo. “Yes, I’ll be joining you this weekend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chloe perked up behind her, that bright smile from the parties that never failed to make Alix feel short of breath breaking out across her face. “I- yeah! Yes, of course, I’ll text you the details. And, Alix?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix turned back to the heiress, and felt herself zero in on those eyes that she’d missed so much. “Yeah, Chlo?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Bourgeois limo drove off, back to the hotel, and Alix continued to stand on the sidewalk smiling like a moron. Plagg zipped out of her bag, waving his little paws in her face. “Hey, Kitten, you there? You’re smiling like a moron right now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m good, Plagg.” Alix looked up at the sky, taking a deep breath. “Look, the skies cleared up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The little god settled on her shoulder, nuzzling against her neck. “Sure did, Kitten.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In a little tea shop across Paris, Master Fu held his head in his hands as a broadcast of the fight from earlier played out on the TV in front of him. “Wayzz, what have I done?”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Master Fu: (Gob Bluth voice) I've made a huge mistake</p><p>Okay I tried to make this one shorter than Part 1 but it's longer? I have no idea how that happened, but it did. Anyways, here's origins part 2! If you have any comments, suggestions, or criticisms, let me know!</p><p>Also, if you visit my tumblr (@/symphonic-scream), I've been posting about this AU as I've been writing it. You can find my plans for future chapters, future heroes, and anything else I decide to post. You can also talk to me about the AU, I keep my asks open and I try to answer them as quickly as I can.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Bubbler</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kim's got a visitor, Alix has an awkward experience, and a blond puppy gets another year older. Oh, and there's a giant smurf. </p>
<p>New ending as of September 5 2020! Much happier with this version uwu</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Birthdays were quite the ordeal at Dupont, especially if Marinette Dupain-Cheng was in your class. Nino had known the girl since they were children, and every year she got him the best gifts for his birthday. Marinette’s signature gifts always followed a pattern; a custom Dupian-Cheng pastry, made fresh that morning with you in mind, and a carefully chosen gift, which lately had started to become Marinette originals, made just for you. Nino’s favourite headphones had been his latest gift from Marinette, and he rarely went anywhere without them.</p>
<p>Nino hasn’t been friends with Adrien long, maybe a week or two, time was confusing, but he couldn’t wait to celebrate his bro’s special day. Nino had sent his buddy the custom playlist he’d made for him as soon as he’d woken up, and he couldn’t wait to make sure his bro had the best birthday ever!</p>
<p>Nino lived on the opposite side of Dupont from Marinette’s place, so it wasn’t often that he was able to get up early enough to swing by the bakery to make sure his friend was getting to school on time. So, he’d set his alarm extra early the night before, giving him just enough time to ensure Marinette and her gifts would be right on time for Adrien’s birthday.</p>
<p>“Oh, Nino, it’s so lovely to see you!” Sabine Cheng gushed, walking around the counter to give him a hug. The Dupain-Chengs gave some of the best hugs in all of Paris, Nino was sure of it. “Marinette will be down in a minute, she’s putting the finishing touches on a gift for your new classmate. Adrien, I believe?”</p>
<p>“That’s him!” Nino knew he could count on Marinette to pull through when it really mattered. Sure the girl was clumsy to a fault and worked herself to the point of exhaustion most nights, but she sure knew when it was the right time to be on mark. </p>
<p>Speaking of Marinette, she stumbled down the stairs, nearly dropping a neatly wrapped box as she reached the bottom. Luckily, her father, Tom Dupain, was close enough to lend a hand in keeping the gift from hitting the bakery floor. “Thanks, Papa! Is the croissant ready?”</p>
<p>Tom laughed heartily, patting his daughter’s head carefully. “You betcha! One large butter croissant with a marmalade filling, packaged up and ready to go. It’s under one of the warming lights.”</p>
<p>“You’re the best, Papa!” Marinette hugged her dad before going to retrieve the pastry. It was only then that she noticed Nino standing with her mom. “Nino! Hi, you didn’t tell me you’d be stopping by?”</p>
<p>“Just wanted to make sure everything’s gonna be perfect for Adrien’s big day, dudette!” The pair waved farewell to Tom and Sabine as they left the bakery, and started the short walk to the school. Nino took a second to check the time on his phone. Perfect, only five minutes until Adrien would be arriving. “Did you finish your gift, Mari?”</p>
<p>Marinette grinned at him, tapping her fingers on the wrapped box currently being used as a tray for the pastry box. “Yep, right on time, too, I didn’t have to stay up all night either! I just hope he likes it.”</p>
<p>“No one could ever hate a Marinette Dupain-Cheng gift!” Nino threw his arm around his friend, making sure to be gentle so she wouldn’t drop the precious cargo. “Adrien’s absolutely gonna love what you got him, I just know it!”</p>
<p>They reached the school just as Alya did, the latter taking the time to properly park her bicycle before joining Nino and Marinette at the base of the steps. “Hey guys, ready for the big day?”</p>
<p>Marinette rolled her eyes, but her smile showed how nervous she really was. “It’s just Adrien’s birthday, you’re all acting like he’s getting married!”</p>
<p>“Dudette, it’s his first birthday that he gets to spend at school, it’s gotta be perfect!” Nino reminded her. There was nothing in the world that would stop him from giving his bro the best birthday ever, he was sure of it. “Oh, here he comes now, places!”</p>
<p>Adrien’s car pulled up as Nino adjusted the brim of his cap, and he felt his excitement reach its boiling point as the blond boy climbed out. “Happy birthday, Adrien!”</p>
<p>The model lit up like a Christmas tree, looking like a kid discovering a candy store for the first time. “Aw shucks, thanks guys!”</p>
<p>Nino broke formation, quickly throwing an arm around Adrien’s shoulders and guiding the birthday boy towards the girls. “Did you get my gift this morning, bro?”</p>
<p>“The playlist?” Nino nodded, and Adrien broke out into a brighter smile. It shouldn’t have been possible, but Nino wasn’t about to question how happy his bro could get, he’d figure it out one day. “Bro, I <em> love </em>it! I listened to it the whole drive to school, it’s perfect!”</p>
<p>Of course it was perfect, Nino had spent a solid week carefully selecting the absolute best songs for his bro. “Well, if you loved that, you’re going to go nuts for what’s next; Marinette, it’s your turn!”</p>
<p>The girl in question startled a little, before her smile returned full force, her face growing slightly pink. “Okay, um, first off is a marmalade butter croissant, made fresh this morning. I noticed you really liked the ones I brought on Monday, so I assumed you’d like it? If not, I can have my Papa bake you up something different by the afternoon, just say the word!”</p>
<p>Adrien eagerly took the pastry box, opening it to take in the scent. “This is absolutely perfect, Marinette, thank you. These are actually my favourite!”</p>
<p>“That’s not all, Adrien.” Alya grinned, nudging her best friend. “She’s got another gift for you, don’t you girl?”</p>
<p>“Right! Here, it’s in this. Again, if you don’t like it, I can get you something else by afternoon class, no problem!” Marinette held out the box for the birthday boy to take. It was wrapped in solid blue wrapping paper, with a green ribbon on top, the shade matching Adrien’s eyes exactly. </p>
<p>Adrien handed the pastry box to Nino, before tenderly taking the gift into his hands. He was looking at it in what Nino could only describe as complete awe, and even the thought of his bro being this astounded at the idea of a friend getting him a gift for his birthday made him want to fight everyone in Adrien’s life who had ever let him down.</p>
<p>Carefully, Adrien pulled a soft blue scarf from the package, running his hands over the cloth. “Did, did you make this yourself?”</p>
<p>“Of course she did, bro!” Nino winked at his childhood friend, who looked like she was about to start vibrating from her nerves. “Marinette’s, like, super into fashion, bro. She makes her own designs and clothes from scratch!”</p>
<p>“It’s really not that big a deal, really!” Marinette was always so quick to put herself down, it was a real bummer. Nino needed to have a talk with the universe for what it did to make his friends get on like this.</p>
<p>Adrien expertly wrapped the scarf around his neck, finally looking up at Marinette with the biggest smile he’d shown yet. “Oh, it is a big deal! Marinette, this is so lovely, thank you so much!”</p>
<p>Nino internally gave himself a pat on the back. So far all his plans were working out perfectly! “So, bro, when’s the party?”</p>
<p>“Party?” Oh no, Nino thought, no, this was not happening. Yet, Adrien didn’t say sike. “What party?”</p>
<p>“Dude, your birthday party? You’ve surely had one of those before, right?” Please say yes, Nino chanted in his head.</p>
<p>Sadly, and much to Nino’s horror, his bro shook his head, looking utterly confused. “I mean, every year Chloe would come over for a special movie night, but that’s it. Why, what normally happens?”</p>
<p>The warning bell chimed, signally that they’d better get a move on if they wanted to get to class on time. Nino’s friends got moving, but he stood on the street for a second, before he came to a decision. Yeah, during midday break he was going to march down to Adrien’s place and talk his father into letting him have a real birthday party!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Kim was super excited for midday break. His oldest sister, Mychau, was back in Paris for the upcoming weekend and had promised to take him out to lunch at his favourite asian fusion restaurant. Mychau was studying at a Canadian university overseas, pursuing a degree in Kinesiology while also playing hockey for her school’s team. </p>
<p>As soon as class was dismissed, Kim was dashing right out the door. Could you blame him? Mychau was his favourite of his three sisters, don’t tell the other two, and he hadn’t seen her in nearly a month! Plus, the fusion place just introduced a new soup that sounded right up Kim’s alley. So yeah, he wanted out of that school as quickly as possible.</p>
<p>He spotted her as soon as he pushed through the main doors of the school, leaning against their dad’s car. Mychau, dark hair loose around her shoulders, sunglasses resting on the tip of her nose, wearing her McGill Martlets team jacket, nodded up at him with a grin. “Hey, Kimmie boy! Get down here, already, slowpoke!”</p>
<p>Kim couldn’t fight the smile spreading across his face as he raced down the stairs before throwing himself at his sister. He was still shorter than her, but it was only by a few centimetres now. “I hope you brought your savings fund, ‘cause I’m about to eat enough soup to run you dry!”</p>
<p>“Oh, is that a bet, Kimmie?” Mychau ruffled his hair, before pushing Kim away slightly. Kim climbed into the front seat, tossing her phone into the centre console. “Because if it is, I bet I can eat more of that soup than you can!”</p>
<p>“Can you really do that on that fancy diet of yours?”</p>
<p>Mychau winked at him as she pulled away from Dupont. “I won’t tell if you won’t!”</p>
<p>Kim missed being able to hang out with his sister. Sure, he lost every bet they made, but Mychau was always so down to do dumb shit with him. He could only badger his classmates into playing along with his little competitions for so long before they revolted against him. But Mychau? She was just as competitive as he was.</p>
<p>They made it to the restaurant in record time, which was astounding to think because Mychau was usually a pretty speedy driver. Kim didn’t notice them going any faster than she typically drove, but he could always be wrong. He didn’t believe roads could shrink, so that probably wasn’t it. At least he hoped so.</p>
<p>They were seated quickly, and had their orders placed near instantly. Mychau was going on, complaining and mocking the “Franglais” her Canadian teammates spoke and her classes were taught in. “They all know I speak English, yet they continue to try to speak to me in French. It’s a sweet idea, really, but we don’t even speak the same French!”</p>
<p>“That’s crazy.” Kim spoke around a mouthful of leche tapioca pearls. He was hoping to train himself to hold as many of them in his mouth as possible in order to finally beat one of his other sisters, Vinh, in their life-long battle. “Can you ask for a cup of more leche pearls? I need more to fill my mouth and I don’t wanna ask with my mouth full.”</p>
<p>“Yet you speak to me like that, I see how it is.” Mychau winked at him again, leaning out of their booth to locate a staff member. Suddenly, screams erupted from outside the restaurant, and large bubbles started to float in through the windows and doors. Mychau shot out of her seat to jump in front of Kim, when a bubble snatched her up. “What the honest <em> fuck </em>is happening?!”</p>
<p>“Mychau!” Kim cried, scrambling out of the restaurant after his sister. He barely noticed the other adults being swept away by the bubbles, all he cared about was trying to reach his sister. It was for naught, and all Kim could do was watch as his sister floated into the sky. “Fuck!”</p>
<p>Tikki zipped out of her hiding spot in the hood of his sweatshirt, looking up at him with wide, concerned eyes. “Oh Kim, I’m so sorry about your sister.”</p>
<p>Kim blinked hard, trying to keep his eyes from watering enough to form real tears. “No, no, I’m good, Tikki. I’m assuming this means an akuma’s around here somewhere?”</p>
<p>The little bug didn’t seem convinced, but luckily she didn’t bring Mychau up again. “I’m afraid so, Kim. We need to find Chartreux, she’ll be able to help you track and bring down this akuma!”</p>
<p>“Yeah, right.” Kim scoffed, tucking himself away into a nearby alley to transform. “I don’t need that damn cat, I’ll take this one down on my own. Maybe she’ll finally get the hint that I don’t want her there. Spots on!”</p>
<p>Tikki looked like she wanted to argue, but before she could she was being sucked into the earrings. In a flash of light, Crimson Beetle was in his place. He swung up onto the roof of the restaurant, and started his search for the akuma. A big problem with his plan revealed itself pretty early on; he had no fucking clue what the akuma looked like. All he knew was that its powers were related to bubbles, and there was only so much he could do with that.</p>
<p>He was probably wandering around Paris confused out of his mind for a half hour before he had the brilliant idea to climb the Eiffel Tower to get a better look around. It was from the top that he saw the disturbing blue abomination hosting a party at some bigass mansion. “Ohoho, I gotcha now, you bubbly bastard.”</p>
<p>King swung down to the party, landing rather harshly on the roof. He may have knocked a few tiles off, but his miracle cure would fix it all, and he doubted anyone would sue a superhero. You’d have to be a villain to do that, and the chances that Kim happened to land on Hawk Moth's roof were so low Kim actually laughed at the thought.</p>
<p>Alright, he thought, gotta act fast. He couldn’t risk fucking up and allowing that mangy stray hero to show up to claim his glory. “Lucky charm!”</p>
<p>Okay, Kim needed to have a serious talk with whoever was choosing these. A fishing rod? Seriously, what the hell was he supposed to do with that?</p>
<p>Down below, in the courtyard, that demonic blue akuma was starting to play a slow dance. “Alright dudes, dudettes, and dutheys, find that special someone and hold ‘em real close ‘cause it’s slow dance time!”</p>
<p>Holy shit, was that Nino? Oh, Kim was <em> not </em>going to let him live this down after. Wait, did akumas get to choose their appearance? Bah, that didn’t matter, Kim was going to tease Nino either way. </p>
<p>Kim noticed Nino the akuma putting one of the big flat CDs down on a nearby table. Nino loved music, Kim remembered, so that must be where the akuma is! See, Tikki? He didn’t need Chartreux, not one bit! Kim cast his fishing line, and barely managed to reel in the giant CD.</p>
<p>When he snapped it in half, however, no butterfly flew out. The only notable thing that happened was his earrings beeping. “What? No! <em> Fuck!” </em></p>
<p>Akuma Nino looked up at him, startled, then seemed to notice the broken disk in his hands. “Dude, that’s one of my records! So not cool, man. You can’t just crash a birthday party and smash up the tunes!”</p>
<p>“Uh, sorry?” Crimson Beetle dropped the shards, and tried to smile sheepishly. It came out as a grimace. “No wait, why am I apologizing to a villain? Whatever, I’ll be back to beat the crap out of you later! Don’t leave!”</p>
<p>“Why would I leave?” Akuma Nino laughed darkly. “The Bubbler’s only getting this party started!”</p>
<p>Kim rushed off, nearly slipping from the roof in his rush to get somewhere to detransform. The Bubbler, huh? So not music themed, then. Kim needed to figure out where that akuma was and quick if he wanted a chance at his true glory!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Back at Adrien’s captive birthday party, Alix was finally free from her awkward slow dance with her pal Max. The Bubbler was back to playing more upbeat music, and with him so focused on mourning his broken record, it was the perfect time to sneak away to transform.</p>
<p>“Well, I’m glad that’s over.” Alix wiped her hands on her shirt. Who knew Max was such a sweaty dancer? “Not that I don’t like you pal, but from now on you’re my last choice for a dance partner.”</p>
<p>Max, also wiping his hands on his shirt, nodded in agreement. It was sort of weird seeing him without his glasses, Alix wondered where he’d left them. “The feeling is mutual.”</p>
<p>Alix glanced at the Bubbler quickly, making sure he was still busy. “Hey, I gotta go to the bathroom, can you cover for me? Like, if he goes nuts and tries to bubble me will you let him know?”</p>
<p>“Yes, I’ll tell the super villain keeping us captive at a birthday party for our classmate that you aren’t trying to leave.” Bless whichever being let her have Max in her life. Alix dashed off into the mansion, trying to find a closet or something to transform in.</p>
<p>Plagg flew out of her pocket, zipping around like a madman. “Plagg, there are cameras here, you’re gonna be seen!”</p>
<p>“Kwami’s don’t appear on camera, Kitten.” Plagg popped back through a doorway. “I found a place for you to transform, come on in!”</p>
<p>That place to transform ended up being an actual shoe closet. Luckily for Alix, the Agrestes kept the place immaculate, so she wasn’t surrounded by the smell of feet. “Alright Plagg, it’s time to work your magic. Claws out!”</p>
<p>Chartreux Noire burst out of the closet, and made a mad dash for the second floor where she knew Adrien’s room was. If she remembered correctly from the many parties spent chilling in his room with him and Chloe, his window faced the courtyard where the party was being held. It would give her the perfect drop on the Bubbler.</p>
<p>Alix burst into the boy’s room, and keeping her momentum up, ran straight through the window. The jacket of her costume didn’t seem to tear under the grass, and she cackled as she slammed the akuma into the ground. Her classmates scattered, and Alix wrapped her arms around the Bubbler’s neck as he tried to shake her off.</p>
<p>“Bro, so not cool!” Giant smurf Nino shouted, thrashing around wildly. “You crashed the fucking party, so I’m gonna make you crash!”</p>
<p>“Crash like, fall off? Or like in the medical way?” Alix asked.</p>
<p>Bubbler stopped thrashing for a second, seemingly floored by her question. “What?”</p>
<p>“Like, how are you gonna make me crash? I’m invested now, you just gotta tell me. Don’t leave me hanging now!”</p>
<p>Then, as the akuma stood there blue screening, Crimson Beetle hopped up over the wall and tackled them both to the ground. “I told you I’d be back, you blueberry motherfucker! Give me your akuma!”</p>
<p>“No way, dude, you’ve gotta gimme your miraculous and party hard for Adrien!” The akuma stumbled to his feet, using his bubble wand as a crutch. Wait a second, his wand.</p>
<p>“Yo, Beetle Boy!” Alix shouted over to Crimson Beetle, who was trying to lock the Bubbler in a headlock. “His wand, that’s what you have to break!”</p>
<p>The boys wrestled around for a minute, and Alix looked around for a way to distract the akuma again. That’s when she noticed the gift table that had been set up when she was dragged to the party earlier. Alix felt a little guilty for what she was about to do, and mentally apologized to Adrien. “Hey, Bubble bitch! I’m gonna destroy all these gifts! Cataclysm!”</p>
<p>“No!” Bubbler shrieked, scrambling to crawl away from Crimson Beetle long enough to stop her hand before she could touch the table. As he fumbled around with the grace of a newborn giraffe, the ladybug hero snatched his wand away from him and snapped it in half.</p>
<p>Chartreux let out a breath in relief, moving her hand away from the table of gifts. The beetle hero did whatever it was he needed to do to fix everything, and soon they were being washed over by a swarm of magic ladybugs. With them, the adults of Paris were returned.</p>
<p>Both heroes approached Nino groaning on the ground. “Yo, what happened?”</p>
<p>“You got rid of every adult in the city because Adrien’s dad said he couldn’t have a birthday party.” Chartreux explained, tail swishing behind her. “You also held a bunch of your classmates hostage. No biggie.”</p>
<p>Adrien scurried over, throwing himself at Nino. “Bro, you’re back! I’m sorry my dad said those things to you, but I’m also really grateful for what you did for me, bro.”</p>
<p>“Bro…” Nino wiped a tear from his eye, and the two boys hugged each other tightly.</p>
<p>Alix turned to the big dumbass who tackled her earlier, and raised an eyebrow. “I heard you tried to do this one on your own again. How’d that go for you?”</p>
<p>“Fuck off, cat.” CB grunted, staring off across Paris. “I have somewhere I need to be, so I’m gonna get lost. And, I had it handled. You should stop showing up, you’re just slowing me down.”</p>
<p>He bounced away and Alix felt her anger rising. How dare that jerk speak to her like that? He was clearly delusional, thinking she wasn’t helping! Ugh, her dad was probably worried, she should probably head home.</p>
<p>“Chartreux! Chartreux, wait!” Alix turned around, making eye contact with Adrien Agreste, birthday boy extraordinaire. “Will you sign this card for me?”</p>
<p>She blinked, and stood there for a second. He wanted her autograph? Like, for real? “Uh, yeah, sure. Here.”</p>
<p>The blond was practically bouncing as she momentarily panicked over creating a signature, and he seemed to glow when she handed it back to him. “Happy birthday.”</p>
<p>Alix jumped off immediately, fighting off a smile as she made her way home. She no longer cared about the opinion of that stupid beetle, she knew at least someone was thankful she was there.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>In the end, Gabriel hadn’t let Adrien have a real party. But, after much badgering from the daughter of the mayor and puppy eyes from his son, he allowed Adrien to invite his friends for the movie night usually reserved for just him and Chloe. Sadly some members of the class were busy or unable to attend. Ivan and Mylene had plans, Nathaniel and Max couldn’t come on such short notice, and Kim was spending time with his sister. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chloe had already been there, which made set up much easier. Even though she acted like she hated her classmates for some reason, she was able to easily identify any snacks any of them couldn’t have. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nathaniel’s not coming so you </span>
  <em>
    <span>can</span>
  </em>
  <span> serve citrus, if you have anything spicy or sour make sure you let Rose know, she loves that stuff. Juleka is lactose intolerant but won’t say anything, so don’t offer her anything with dairy, and soy makes Sabrina feel sick. You got all that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Adrien just nodded, relaying all of that to Nathalie. They ended up just getting a wide spread of chips and popcorn and a cooler of assorted juices and sodas. Sabrina arrived just as they were pouring the ice into the cooler, and the trio settled in to wait for the rest to show up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix appeared in the doorway not long after, looking a little apprehensive. She looked between Adrien and Chloe, making Adrien a little nervous. Chloe didn’t tell him much about their talk or the trip that followed it, and he hadn’t had a chance to talk to Alix about it either. Much to Adrien’s relief, Chloe looked up from her phone and gave the shorter girl a soft smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Happy birthday, sunshine boy.” Alix walked over to where he was standing, and before she could offer him her customary fistbump he pulled her in for a hug. “Oof, alright there buddy, that’s enough.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you so much for coming!” Adrien pulled away reluctantly. He’d really missed her in the months he’d avoided all those parties. He loved Chloe and she was his best friend - Nino was his best bro there’s a difference - but Alix always turned every party into a real party. From hiding under tables to tie creepy men’s shoelaces together to jumping through windows to give Nathalie the slip, she made those nights much more enjoyable. “We’re just waiting on a few others, so feel free to get comfy!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix took the other empty one beside Chloe, and Adrien couldn’t fight off his smile at the sight of the two getting along again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It didn’t take long for the rest of the guests to show up. Nino, Alya, and Marinette came as a group, the latter with a fresh tray of macarons. Juleka and Rose weren’t much later, and the blonde girl had looked very excited when he told her about the spicy chips he’d set aside for her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As the birthday boy Adrien had been allowed to choose the movies, so they ended up watching a marathon of the Spy Kids movies. Yes, even the atrocious fourth one with the scratch and sniff cards and the weird Netflix animated show. It was there, sitting there in the dark theatre room surrounded by the laughter of his friends new and old, Adrien determined that this was the best birthday ever. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That was also the day that sparked a new interest in the model: the heroes of Paris.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Welp there's the Bubbler, hope you enjoyed it. Next up is Dark Cupid, which should be interesting with a the changes I'm doing. </p>
<p>More info on Mychau and the rest of Kim's family can be found on my Tumblr (https://symphonic-scream.tumblr.com/), as well as more info about this AU.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Dark Cupid</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Alix and Kim both agree that Valentine's day is a shitty holiday. Add in an akuma, and it just may be the worst day of the whole year.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Fair warning, the 'D' and 'G' keys on my keyboard are giving out. If you see any spelling errors let me know so I can go back and fix them! Also, if you read the last chapter before I updated the ending, you'll wanna go back and check that out! I'm much happier with the whole chapter now. I also really enjoyed this one</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Alix has always thought that Valentine’s day was the dumbest holiday. A holiday about showing the person you love that you love them? Please, if you truly loved someone you’d show them more than once a year. She considered it the day that deadbeat boyfriends tried desperately to convince their girlfriends that they cared despite what they did or said every other day. It was a horrible holiday.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luckily, she wasn’t alone in her beliefs. Her friend Max and her lacrosse teammate Kim shared her hatred of the day, and together the three of them were watching the less enlightened members of their school mill around like herded sheep in the courtyard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look at them, all lovey and shit.” Kim grunted, resting his head on his folded arms. He was leaning against the railing, Max between him and Alix. “I swear this is the worst day of the year.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“While I believe you are being overdramatic, I understand.” Max fixed his glasses. “I hope one day our classmates may be brought to the light about this false holiday.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix had to agree with her friend. It was hard to watch, the students below exchanging gifts shyly as if anything from their teen years would truly matter later in life. If Alix was offered the chance to redo her younger years she would laugh in the face of the person who offered. Being young was pretty shitty so far, and she doubted a second chance would be any better.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Kim, Alix, Max!” Rose and Juleka were coming up the stairs, the smaller and pinker of the two practically vibrating in her shoes. She was wearing a new pair of pink lace gloves, not much different than what Juleka normally wore. The taller girl was wearing a flower crown made of black pansies and purple cosmos. It actually looked rather nice on her. “Happy Valentine’s day!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“While I do not celebrate this inane holiday, I will wish you a happy one as well.” Max, ever the polite one. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kim blinked, looking like a very awkward and stupid owl. “Uh, what he said.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dumbass. Rose didn’t seem fazed, she just simply pulled Juleka closer to the trio by the railing. “Check out these gloves Juleka got me! Ooh, and isn’t she just the cutest in that flower crown?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Juleka started to turn red, hiding behind her hair. Alix snickered. Rose was a sweet girl, but she was always putting her poor girlfriend in the spotlight like that. Well, maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. Alix was used to being overlooked as the smallest, so she could only assume that Juleka felt the same way sometimes. And, Alix had to admit that the goth looked pretty damn cute in that flower crown.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Damn Juleka, she’s right.” Kim grinned. “Good choice, Rose.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Kim!” The blonde smiled brightly, hugging Juleka’s arm. Those two really were the cutest couple in their whole class, Ivan and Mylene be damned. “Juleka is just the sweetest, you know? These gloves fit really well and they’re my favourite colour! I don’t know what I’d without her in my life!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What a sweet sentiment, Alix thought. Rose said that kind of thing all the time, so she wasn’t as bothered by hearing the blonde spout her love for the tall goth on the cursed day. The class bell rang, and the five of them reluctantly made their way to their classroom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Alix took her seat, she overheard Alya and Marinette talking about Alya’s new blog, the Beetle Blog. Alix was kinda pissed off that she named it after that big red bastard but it’s not like she can say anything as Alix without coming off as a hater and if Chartreux said anything it would ruin her chances even further of getting the recognition she believes she deserves. “I’m running a special Valentine’s day event that allows people to send virtual Valentines to the heroes! Well, they can post them anonymously for the heroes to see, but I still think it’s cool.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a wonderful idea, Alya.” Marinette agreed, handing a passing Nathaniel a heart shaped cookie. “I’m sure Crimson Beetle and Chartreux Noire will really appreciate this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks girl!” Alya swiped another cookie, humming happily as she bit into it. Alix nibbled on her own, in awe that it managed to stay warm all morning. Marinette’s parents were god sent. “Say, do you think the heroes have Valentines?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That grabbed the class’s attention. Alix knew that Chartreux was alone and not a fan of the holiday, but she kept her mouth shut. Besides, Plagg was giving her the eyes from inside her bag on the ground. If she said anything he’d probably bite her shins or something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wouldn’t it be so cute if Crimson Beetle and Chartreux Noire were dating?” Mylene spoke up, clasping her hands together under her chin. “Dating and working together like that would be so romantic!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, Alix was about to fucking hurl. Her, dating that big asshole? Never, not in a million years. Even if the big lug wasn’t a big asshole, he wasn’t her type anyways. That brought on a whole new question, what was Alix’s type anyway?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Huh, she had to actually think about that one. She didn’t like any of the boys in their class, not even Adrien or Kim, the two most popular with the girls outside of their class. Wait, did Alix even like guys?! </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was snapped out of her internal crisis by Kim actually gagging out loud behind her. “As if someone as cool as Crimson Beetle would settle for a shrimpy little cat like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How dare you talk about Chartreux Noire like that, Tim!” Chloe huffed from the front, much to Alix’s surprise. Sure, she saved the heiress during Stoneheart, but she didn’t think Chloe would actively defend her cat alter ego like that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Plus, it seems like she actively hates him.” Adrien, her saviour, spoke up. “He’s always trying to keep her out of the fights. I don’t get why, I think she’s badass!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix mentally wished a lifetime of good luck on Adrien. Miss Bustier cleared her throat, interrupting the class debate. She started her mini lecture on fairytales and love and Alix zoned right out. The classroom might not be the best place for a sexuality crisis, but she also didn’t want to have to talk to Jalil about it. If he saw her zone out like that at home he’d for sure zone in on it, and that would be hell on earth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, while her class discussed true love and kisses in folklore, Alix thought of pretty girls and tried to determine if she liked them or not. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chloe was still fuming when class ended for lunch. How dare that dumb jock insult Chartreux Noire, the better of the two heroes of Paris. She was funny, both pretty and hot in a grungy, mysterious way, and had saved Chloe’s life. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yes, Chloe was actually aware that her feelings for the heroine were pretty damn sapphic. Chloe has known she was a lesbian for a while now, even if the only one who knew was Adrien, who was sworn to silence. He only knew because he’d been there for her little awakening. How was she supposed to know that watching Kakegurui would make her realize she’s gay? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, there was a very high chance that Chloe was crushing on the cool black cat hero </span>
  <em>
    <span>hard. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Who could blame her? The second she had looked into those eyes and heard the slight rasp of her voice, hair messy from the rush to catch her, she was done for.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kim probably didn’t mean anything mean by it?” Sabrina tried to calm Chloe’s storming as she exited the school. The shorter girl scurried behind her, desperate to keep up. “Maybe he just really likes Crimson Beetle?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Doesn’t give him the right to trash talk Chartreux Noire like that.” Chloe grumbled, headed in the direction home to the hotel. She had overheard Tanya’s little speech about the blog and was now determined to leave her favourite hero the best love poem ever written. “He’s probably just jealous of just how awesome she is. As he should be, she’s the best.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as Chloe and Sabrina were about to step out onto the bridge that led back to the hotel, a boy from one of the other classes at their school raced out in front of her. He was rather plain looking, and Chloe wasn’t even sure she had even seen him before. For all she knew, he could be a bait boy for some human trafficking ring. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chloe Bourgeois, my name is Cedric LeBlanc, and I’ve come to ask you to be my Valentine!” He said rather smugly, his boring face holding an arrogance Chloe hadn’t seen outside of the parties her dad brought her to. He was holding out a generic looking broach. Ugh, she hated this guy already. She’d been turning people away all day, and she was on her last thread of sanity. “I’m in a hurry, though, so hurry up and say yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh, as if.” Chloe rolled her eyes, pushing past the boy a little rougher than what was strictly necessary. Adrien wouldn’t find out, so she wasn’t worried about her whole ‘be a better person’ score at the moment. No, she had a poem to write to that mysterious little feline. “You’re delusional if you think I’d ever want to be with someone like you. Go bark up another tree.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chloe resumed her storming, trying to get back before her disgust over that boy started to cloud the pink haze of love in her head, ready to write the sappiest shit. She didn’t notice the dark butterfly fly right past her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Back at the school, Alix, Kim, and Max were eating lunch on the school steps, judging every couple that walked by. Jalil had made Alix a chicken sandwich that morning, which meant she had tossed the meat out of fear of food poisoning and was enjoying a veggie sandwich. Kim had some funky noodles and Max was ignoring his soup in favour of typing away on his phone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix scowled as a man walked by, his girlfriend on his heels. He was dressed way down in sweatpants and a t-shirt while she stumbled along in a nice dress and heels. Some guys could be such assholes. If Alix was dating that woman she’d treat her like the queen she clearly was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look at that asshole.” Kim grunted, glaring at sweatpants man. “He’s lucky he’s not dating one of my sisters, I would have wrecked his shit by now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Assuming that none of your sisters defended themselves first.” Max corrected. Alix had to agree, all three of Kim’s older sisters were badasses, and wouldn’t put up with any kind of shit like that. Kim wouldn’t even get the chance to defend them, they’d be too busy kicking ass themselves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Out of the sky, some dude in red and black swooped down near the couple, firing off an arrow at the young woman. In an instant, she turned on her boyfriend, and started insulting him with no filter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took Alix a second to register what she was seeing. Damn, another akuma. She should’ve guessed that someone would’ve been akumatized on Valentine’s day, but she had been hoping for a day without having to see that Beetle asshole. Before she could even think of fighting that new akuma, she had to ditch Kim and Max.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit, I, uh, forgot to clean my room!” Alix panicked, stumbling to her feet. So she wasn’t the best at thinking of excuses on the spot, sue her. “My dad’s gonna kill me if I don’t go and do that right this second! You two better stay here though, maybe go hide inside.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kim, curse him, got a panicked look on his face as well. “No, uh, I told my dad I’d pick up some new music books for him, you two better stay here where it’s nice and safe and shit!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Max squinted at the two of them, looking at them like they were idiots. “What the hell are you two talking about? Hold on, are you trying to ditch me? If you two had some secret date planned this whole time you could have just told me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Okay, Alix was seriously about to vomit. Her, date Kim? That was almost as absurd as Chartreux liking Crimson Beetle! Kim seemed to share her sentiment, as he started turning green and actually gagging. “No way in hell would I ever date that runt!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As if I’d stoop as low as to like Kimbo the Himbo here.” Alix scoffed, shaking her head. Yeah, the thought alone was making her sick to her stomach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Max blinked at the two of them again, before quickly packing up his stuff. “You two are acting weird. I’m going to go to the library, I’ll see you both in afternoon classes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, Alix will have to apologize to Max later, but at least she only had to ditch Kim now. Oh, and there he went, off to the bathroom. She should honestly feel offended that just the thought of dating her had him losing his lunch, but for some reason she didn’t seem to care. Maybe because it was Kim, maybe it was because she was already just so done with the day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Plagg zipped out of her bag as Alix ran inside to search for an empty classroom, and was absolutely no help as he hovered beside her head. “I don’t know why you humans give flowers and chocolates to each other as a sign of love. Like, hello, Camembert cheese is right there!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well your stupid cheese stinks and you don’t give someone you love stinky cheese, Plagg.” Alix ducked into the science class, darting across the room to duck under one of the desks. If any teacher had security cameras in their classroom, it would be Ms Mendeleiev. “Hey, and I thought cats were lactose intolerant?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Cats</span>
  </em>
  <span> are, Kitten. I am a tiny god, the embodiment of destruction itself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And yet you eat stinky cheese.” Alix did one final sweep of the whole class, before deciding it was safe to transform. “Alright, tiny god, claws out!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chartreux Noire, needing a quick way out, took to the windows. Luckily they were still open after one of the other classes caused a small explosion earlier, so Alix didn’t have to jump through glass again. Once outside, she used her staff to get up onto the roof, and started off in the direction she had seen the winged akuma flying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just her luck, Crimson Beetle swings up beside her on one of the roofs. “Looks like my Valentine’s wish didn’t come true this year!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s no such thing, dumbass!” Alix shouted back, vaulting over a gap. Based on the trail of angry couples left behind him, the akuma was headed towards the Grand Paris hotel. Chloe must have done something, Alix gathered. Despite the small changes Chloe was making to break her old habits, it was still pretty likely that she had pissed off the wrong person. Yeah, she was pretty pissed off after Kim insulted Chartreux in class. What was that all about?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With the hotel in sight, Chartreux tried to leave Crimson Beetle behind her but he was persistent. “I’ll give you one last chance to get lost, cat. I can handle this one on my own!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure you can, Beetle Boy.” Yeah, as if she’d let him even try. Alix leaped from the rooftop, and just by chance, crashed through the glass doors of the Grand Paris. Inside the hotel, it was pretty chaotic. The akuma was letting arrow after arrow fly as Chloe and Sabrina screamed, running around like chickens with their heads cut off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chloe Bourgeois, stop running!” The akuma growled, shooting at Chloe once more. “You broke my heart, so I, Dark Cupid, will have my revenge!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That gave Alix very little information to go with. Well, first things first, get Chloe somewhere that Dark Cupid couldn’t get to her. If Alix knew Crimson Beetle well enough, she knew he’d go straight to fighting the akuma, which meant she could grab Chloe and Sabrina and get them someplace safe. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix leaped over a table, finding the two girls cowering behind it. Chloe looked up at her, and her face started going red when she realized who had come to save her. “Chartreux Noire! Oh thank god you came for us, if you hadn’t come we would’ve been done for!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina hastily nodded along, wheezing for breath beside the heiress. Alix chanced a glance over the table, and yep, the dumbass bug was taking care of it. She turned back to her two classmates, and was that her imagination or was Chloe closer to her than before? Whatever, not important. “Alright, both of you, hold on to me. I’ll get you somewhere safe, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both girls nodded, then followed her instructions. Chloe was holding rather tight on her left, while Sabrina took her right. Alix wasn’t sure how she would get them deeper into the hotel like this, but she had to try. With the enhanced strength, lifting both girls was no problem at all. They felt like pillows, really.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix hurried off towards the hallway she knew held the board rooms, and kicked open the furthest one. She let Chloe and Sabrina down behind a stack of tables, and did one last check that they were safe. “Alright, here we go ladies. Lock the door after I leave, and don’t let anyone in until those magic ladybugs come through, alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina nodded, and elbowed the blonde girl lightly when all she did was stare up at Chartreux, face bright red. Chloe startled out of her daze, hastily nodding in agreement. A loud crash sounded from the direction of the lobby, meaning Alix had to go help the other hero take down this akuma. “That’s my cue, gotta dash. Stay safe!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chartreux made her way back to the fight, arriving just as Dark Cupid threw Crimson Beetle from his back. The bug hero must have jumped on the akuma hoping he couldn’t fly with their combined weight, and had clearly been wrong. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The akuma grinned maliciously as he lined up a shot at the downed hero, and Alix booked it. It was a mad scramble to get to her partner, and just as she got in front of him, she felt a prickly sensation on her back, before her vision faded to black.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Okay, Kim didn’t want to admit it, but he didn’t actually have this one. How was he supposed to know this Dark Cupid dude was strong enough to fly with both of them? And, the real kicker was that that had been Kim’s only plan. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kim got up, groaning, and the first sight he saw was Chartreux Noire getting hit with an arrow meant for him. He froze, and watched as the heroine’s eyes clouded over, lips turning black. “Yo, you good there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You!” The other hero growled, leaping at him, claws first. Kim totally did not squeak, he for sure grunted in a very masculine way, as she tackled him to the ground. He hissed at the stinging feeling of her claws raking across his exposed cheek. “Oh, how I hate you. I’m going to tear you to shreds, you bastard!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Okay, so maybe she wasn’t okay. This seemed a little more hostile than her usual banter, so that arrow had obviously worked on her. Good to know. Kim noticed Dark Cupid escape out the front door as he struggled to fight off the small cat menace trying to tear him to pieces. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kim kicked the cat away from him, and scrambled towards the door. If he could get out onto the street, he could use his yo-yo to swing after the akuma. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Outside, Kim had to keep moving quickly. He could hear the catgirl right behind him, insulting everything from his form to his haircut. She could actually be quite mean when she tried, he realized. Luckily, the akuma hadn’t made it far and was perched on a large fountain, shooting every couple in sight with his hate arrows. Kim ducked quickly as the black cat shot over him, landing in the fountain, glaring at him like he caused every problem in her life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lucky charm!” A long strip of rope landed in Kim’s hands, one end looped just like he’d seen in cartoons. Didn’t they use those to catch people in cowboy times? Yeah, they totally did, he thought, his plan ready. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chartreux shot at him again, and Kim started swinging. It took him a second to get it right, and another to toss it at the female hero. He really must have the best luck in the world, because he got the rope around her waist on the first throw. He tugged hard, and the loop tightened until there was no way she would be getting out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The short girl looked up at him like he was an idiot, and simply muttered “cataclysm.” Shit, he forgot about that. Before she could break his rope, Crimson Beetle started swinging her around, building momentum until he could properly toss her at the akuma.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dark Cupid screamed as the cat hero smacked into him, both toppling into the fountain. Kim rushed forward to rip the broach off of his chest, breaking it to release the akuma. He made quick work of purifying it, then tackled the task that was untangling his lucky charm from Chartreux Noire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once he had it free, it tossed it up for his miracle cure. “Miraculous Ladybug!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The little bugs flew about and fixed everything, and Kim turned to offer a hand to the girl that had been trying to claw his skin off for the better part of that fight. “You good there, little stray?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck off, Beetle Boy.” She groaned, but accepted his offer for help. “I guess you were right, you could’ve handled that one on your own.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kim laughed bitterly, looking away from the other hero awkwardly. “Well, not exactly. You helped me out even when you were trying to kill me. So, I guess the next time there’s an akuma I wouldn’t mind if you turned up again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” The girl perked up, and that tailor hers started to sway. It kind of reminded Kim of a dog’s when it was happy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just don’t get in my way next time.” And with those final words, Kim shot off back towards the school. After all, he still had afternoon classes to get back to.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Later that night, in her bedroom at the Grand Paris, Chloe was pouring her heart out. If she hadn’t been sure earlier, she knew now for sure that she was head over heels for Paris’ black cat hero. Tanya’s stupid blog had made its special Valentines for Heroes event live an hour ago, and Chloe had spent that entire hour typing out the most heartfelt message she could think of.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, after reading through it for mistakes for the tenth time, she was debating posting it. Sure, it was anonymous, but what if someone tracked it back to her? Did she really want all of Paris reading the words she only wanted one person to read?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She thought back to earlier that day, when the heroine had carried her to safety in her strong, strong arms. She owed it to her to post it, Chloe decided. It would be her thank you for getting saved twice. Chloe took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and clicked post. There, done.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Across Paris, one little Parisian who hated the holiday of love refreshed the blog only to find the heiress’ poem. Reading through it, a warmth grew in her chest, and she decided that maybe she didn’t hate that holiday so much after all.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Whoo, there's another one! Stormy Weather is up next, but the update may take a while as I started my first year of university like yesterday. </p><p>If you want more feral jocks content I post about these two dumbasses on my tumblr, @/symphonic-scream</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Stormy Weather</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Vegans, lacrosse practice, and an akuma, oh my! It's a busy day for Alix and Kim, and unfortunately the weather's calling for a disaster. How will these two handle it? Will they handle it?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter kicked my ass, but I finally finished it. I hope you all enjoy it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Alix, for once, was running late. Okay, she’s been late before, but never to lacrosse practice. The team was already down a member because of Adrien’s photoshoot, and the guys were going to kill her when she showed up without a valid excuse. Surely she couldn’t get away with a half-truth, that she had to stop by a high end deli to get more stinky cheese for the ungrateful little cat god currently napping in her pocket, and she didn’t have the luxury of time to come up with a better excuse.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix leaped up the front steps of Dupont, bursting through the doors to find the rest of the team geared up and already running warmups, their coach nowhere to be found. She paused for a second to catch her breath, before darting off to the change rooms. If she was lucky, she’d be ready to go before their coach returned from wherever it was he had gone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She must have jostled Plagg more than she intended to, because the kwami was now huffing and puffing in her face as she pulled on her jersey. “Hey, what’s the big rush for, Kitten? You’re already late, what’s a few more minutes?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hush, you.” Alix growled, pointing at the little nest she’d created for him in her locker. “Now get hiding, we can’t have anyone coming in here and finding you, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The little god grumbled as he snuggled into his hiding spot, and Alix closed her locker. Time to face the music. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When she walked out to the courtyard again, the rest of the team was taking a water break, and the coach was still nowhere to be seen. Kim sauntered over to her, grinning like the idiot he was. “Well well well, look who finally made it to practice! What happened, couldn’t reach the doorknob?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow, you’re so funny, Kim!” She said sarcastically, smacking at the boy’s arm. “I’ll have you know that I had to pick up some fancy cheese for my dad.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Doesn’t your brother usually take care of that?” Ivan spoke up, sitting on the bench closest to Alix and Kim. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix shrugged. “I mean, yeah, he does. Jalil had a couple of tours to give today, and Dad couldn’t just leave the museum, so he asked me to pick it up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim scoffed, crossing his arms. “It doesn’t take that long to pick up some fancy cheese, Kubdel.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It does when that troupe of radical vegans decide to do an in-store protest to keep people from buying shit.” It had been chaos in the shop. Protestors tried to block off the counter with giant boards and planks, doing anything in their power to stop people from buying the various meats and cheeses. What was supposed to be a quick stop for some Camembert had turned into a riot.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tough luck.” Kim grunted, patting the top of her head roughly. “Lucky you, you managed to be late for the one practice coach won’t be here for.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hold on, Alix thought. That didn’t sound right. “Wait, we don’t have a coach for practice? Since when?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He sent out an email last night.” Ivan said, relacing his shoes. It was something he did during every game, every practice. Between each play he was a part of, Ivan would untie his shoes, and retie them the exact same way. When asked about it, he would simply shrug and say he’d always done it. “Didn’t you see it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No, Alix hadn’t gotten more than a split second to look at her phone before her arm flinched and sent it flying against the wall. Explaining it to her dad had been a chore, but it was officially going in for repairs in an hour, so she’d hopefully have it fixed and ready to go before Monday rolled around. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My phone broke.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim snorted, but tried to school his smile at the glare Alix sent him. “I’m, uh, sorry to hear that. Real unfortunate, bud.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you, Kimberly. What did the email say, Ivan?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The tall boy shrugged, finishing his laces. “Something came up last minute, we have a game this weekend so we were told to either practice by our own means, or accept defeat already.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Harsh.” Sure sounded like their coach, though. He wasn’t known for mincing his words. Alix was willing to bet real money that if it was legal, he would train them like they were going to fight in a war. Sure, under his teachings they had won the tournament last year, but sometimes Alix was tired, you know?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One of the other players on the team waved the trio over, which meant someone was going to try to take the lead. Alix hoped it would be the one person Kim wouldn’t fight, their team captain. Kim was her buddy, and all, but sometimes that boy had a bit of a god complex, and she was not in the mood to hear his speech about coming from a long line of top athletes.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They actually managed to get through practice with practically no interruptions, but the universe wasn’t about to let Alix off of the hook that easily. No, just as she was zipping her bag shut, one of the guys was knocking on the door, warning her about yet another akuma attack. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did I hear there’s an akuma?” Plagg yawned, stretching his little body before humming happily. Right, while Alix was running around all day, the kwami had been taking naps and eating fancy cheese. “Man, I was hoping for a rest day! Hasn’t Hawk Moth ever heard of a day off?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Every day is a rest day for you, Plagg.” Alix tucked her bag back into her locker, and started walking towards the bathroom, which had a window for her to jump out of. “What do you even do all day, besides eating stinky cheese and sleeping, that is.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ouch, Alix, you wound me.” The kwami posed dramatically, throwing his head back. “I’ll have you know that what I do is extremely important and extremely confidential. Companion level three thousand is required to unlock my daily doings, and you’re still on level seven.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What does level seven get me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Plagg did a little spin, before winking at her. “I won’t claw up as many of your socks anymore.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That was you?” Alix had noticed her socks were falling apart too easily nowadays, but she hadn’t suspected that it was Plagg all along! Well, she should have seen this coming, she’d built him a little bed in her sock drawer, afterall. “I let you into my home and you tear up all my socks?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, what’s your point?” Alix so badly wanted to strangle the little bastard, but she needed him to become Chartreux Noire.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll be talking about this more later. Claws out!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now Chartreux, Alix opened the small window in the girl’s bathroom before backing up to get a running start. She leaped through the window, coming out into the alley beside the school. Unfortunately, she had no clue where the akuma was, so her best option was to use her baton to spring up onto the roofs and get a look around.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Up on the roof, she had a perfect view of the park, which was good luck on her part, since there was a large dome of ice over the merry-go-round. Wait, she thought, that was where Adrien’s photoshoot was, right? Alix broke out into a dead sprint, vaulting towards the park. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Was Adrien akumatized? The idea alone made Alix shiver. She didn’t want to imagine what would have to happen to akumatize someone as bright and loving as Adrien, and she hoped she wouldn’t be about to find out. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Marinette shivered, hiding it by doing a goofy wiggle for Manon, who was bundled against her back. She knew she shouldn’t have put her feelings for Adrien ahead of her job, none of this would have happened if she had just stayed home with Manon like she was supposed to. Because of her, both Alya and Manon were in danger, and there was nothing they could do about it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Marinette?” Manon whimpered, tightening her arms around the babysitter’s neck. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s up, Manon?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m cold.” Of course she was, Marinette cursed internally. Manon was much smaller than her, and at this point even Marinette was starting to feel the chill from the ice. Marinette shot a look at Alya, who was still trying to scrape away at the ice with the edge of a gift card. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marinette lowered Manon onto one of the benches of the ride, and began taking off her jacket. If it came down to it, Manon would need it more than Marinette would. “Here, snuggle up with this, it’ll help keep you warm.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But what about you?” Manon’s bottom lip began to quiver, and the little girl tried to refuse the jacket. “If I take your jacket you’ll get cold too!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marinette’s heart just about melted in her chest. Manon was a terror of a child to deal with sometimes, but then she went and did things like this, reminding Marinette that deep down she was just a sweet little girl. “I’ll be alright, really! I’m just going to check on Alya, then I’ll come cuddle with you. You’ll keep me from being cold, alright?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Manon didn’t look completely convinced, but she stopped refusing the jacket and that was good enough for now. Once she was sure the girl was bundled up as much as possible, Marinette made her way over to her best friend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“H-hey girl.” Alya grunted, chipping at the ice with enough force that the gift card looked like it was about to snap in half. “I think I’m finally getting some progress here!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marinette had to disagree. Alya had managed to scrape away maybe a few centimetres of the ice, which looked to be at least a foot thick. It would be useless to continue to scrape away at it, wasting energy that they would need to keep themselves warm. Marinette laid a gentle hand on Alya’s shoulder, and the other girl halted her movements.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why don’t you come cuddle with me and Manon? I’m sure she’d love to see some of your photos and videos of Crimson Beetle and Chartreux Noire!” One thing Marinette had learned was that Alya was pretty much obsessed with the two heroes, and would do nearly anything to get a chance to talk about them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just as she expected Alya perked up, turning to look at Manon’s spot on the bench. “I bet she would, yeah!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before Alya or Marinette could start heading back to Manon, a dark figure dropped down just outside of the ice. Fearing it was Stormy Weather back for round two, Marinette grabbed a fistful of Alya’s shirt and tugged her away from the ice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girls both sighed in relief when the figure peered through the ice, revealing a famous pair of blue and green cat eyes. Marinette must still have some luck left if one of Paris’ heroes was there to save them!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can you hear me?” Chartreux called through the ice, her voice pretty muffled but just clear enough to make out the words. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alya pressed up against their side of the ice, eagerly responding to the little cat hero. “Yes! The akuma stuck us in here then flew off, I think she’s one of the girls from that weather show thing!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chartreux Noire nodded, pointed teeth nibbling at her lip. Hold on, Marinette thought, remembering the last time she’d been this close to the cat during Adrien’s fake birthday party. The hero’s teeth had seemed normal, but Marinette had been pretty far away. She’d take a closer look at Alya’s photos later. “Are the two of you okay in there?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re fine, but the little girl we’re looking after is starting to get a little chilly.” Speaking of Manon, the kid had gotten off of the bench at the commotion, and was staring up at the hero from behind Marinette’s leg with wide eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The hero looked alarmed for a fraction of a second, before schooling her expression. She knelt down, and because of how short the hero was, it brought her to pretty much the same height as Manon. “Hey, how’re you feeling?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A little cold.” Manon responded, tugging the jacket around herself further. “Are you gonna save us?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chartreux nodded, putting on a confident grin. “Of course I will, I’m a hero, that’s what we do best!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Promise?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chartreux pulled down her hood, placing one hand over her heart. “Cat’s honour, little lady. Don’t worry one bit, you’ll be free soon.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With one last nod to Marinette and Alya, the hero bounced away, off to fight the akuma that had put them in the ice. Alya picked up Manon, fixing the jacket she was wrapped in. “See? You’ve got nothing to worry about! Do you wanna see some photos of the heroes I have on my phone?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl practically squealed, bouncing in Alya’s arms. Marinette smiled, and followed the pair back to the bench. Yeah, with Chartreux Noire and Crimson Beetle on the job, they’d be safe and warm soon.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Crimson Beetle was in trouble. Okay, so maybe it was completely his fault, not that he’d ever admit it to anyone, but that didn’t erase the fact that he was clinging to a lamp post for dear life as Stormy Weather blasted gust after gust of harsh wind at him. The only reason he hadn’t gone flying was thanks to his trusty lucky charm, gloves with magnetic fingers, which was keeping his hands on the post. He’d thought he could outlast the akuma, but now, he wasn’t so sure. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why won’t you let go!” She grunted, sending more wind his way. She was clearly growing frustrated, her swings getting more aggressive. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My mom says I’m a stubborn little shit, I guess she’s right!” She said it as a term of endearment, of course. His mom was like that, she didn’t mince her words much and told it as it was, but she also was a big cuddler. Hugs and well meant comments, the essence of Kim’s childhood. “Why don’t you just give up now? There’s no way you’re winning this!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That was apparently the wrong thing to say, he thought as she only got angrier. The winds got harsher, colder, stronger. Cars started flipping backwards, and the pole he was holding onto started to bend. Oh shit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How’s it hanging, Beetle Boy?” Damnit, why did she have to find him in a position like this? Up on the roof beside him, gripping the edge of the roof with her claws, was Chartreux Noire herself. She grinned down at him, her belt tail wrapped around her waist to keep it from flying about. “You look like you’re having a whole lotta fun!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Haha, real funny, you furry.” She narrowed her eyes at him, and he could see her tail flick against her stomach. Okay, bad idea to insult her when he needed her help, got it. “Are you just gonna sit there all day and watch or are you gonna do something?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chartreux lifted one hand to her face, tapping her chin to mimic a thinking face. “Y’know, I’m not sure yet. You look like you have everything under control, I might just go take a cat nap.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, fuck, wait!” The winds kicked up again, and the pole started to make a concerning creaking noise. Kim grit his teeth, he was going to have to sink pretty low to fix this one. “Won’t you please help me? I’ll owe you one?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And, like the smug bastard he had her pegged as, she cocked her head, leaning towards the edge of the roof. “Ooh, the big mighty hero boy is asking little ol’ me to give him a paw? Well, since he asked so nicely I just oughta, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chartreux let go of the edge, and before the wind could start to push her back, she started pulling herself along the roof by the claws in her gloves. Somehow Stormy Weather had failed to notice the heroine despite how loudly the two of them were shouting, andKim planned to keep it that way.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, weather lady!” He called out to her, dragging her attention back to him. “I can see why you lost, these winds are nothing! Not only are you a shitty weather girl, you’re a shit akuma, too!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh yeah, that got her properly riled up. Stormy Weather screamed with rage, turning up the winds tenfold. Kim’s pole was beginning to pull up from the ground, and he hoped to all things good that Chartreux would be able to reach the akuma before he became a Beetle Pancake.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just before the light could be fully pulled from the ground, the winds cut off. Crimson Beetle dropped to the ground, landing pretty roughly on his stomach. When he finally got to his feet, he got treated to the wonderful sight of Chartreux Noire sitting on Stormy Weather’s back, trying to wrestle her umbrella out of her hands as the akuma tried to wiggle free. Kim ran over to them to the best of his abilities, stumbling a little here and there. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He grabbed onto the umbrella as well, and barely held his ground as he managed to pull it free from the akuma. He snapped it in half, and used his yo-yo to purify the akuma. He pulled off the gloves, and threw them up to activate the miracle cure. “Miraculous Ladybug!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chartreux Noire sauntered up to him as the little ladybugs put the street back together, hands shoved casually into the pockets of her jacket. Damn, that was something he didn’t have, pockets. “Was working with me that bad after all, Beetle Boy?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It wasn’t the worst part of my day.” He answered reluctantly, giving her a playful shove. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She grinned, and pushed her shoulder back into his. “Well, don’t forget you owe me a favour, alright? I’ll be cashing it in later.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah, I know.” He shoved right back, just as his earrings beeped. Shit, he’s gotta go. “See you around, Little Stray.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alix dropped her transformation a street over from the park where she’d left Marinette, Alya, and the kid they were babysitting, quickly shushing Plagg when he started to whine for cheese.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t think I’ve forgotten about what you did to my socks, you little gremlin. You can wait for your cheese because of your crimes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The kwami huffed and puffed, flying up close to her face. “That’s not how this works! You give me cheese for letting you transform, and I do what I want because I’m a god!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, no thanks.” Alix booped the kwami on his little forehead, smiling rather smugly at the little cat. “I won’t be rewarding you for bad behaviour. Now hide, I’ve gotta go get my stuff so we can go home.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Plagg grumbled, but he did as he was told and burrowed into Alix’s pocket. She started walking back to Dupont to get her bag, but decided she could afford the few seconds it would take to walk by the park and check up on her friends.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When she reached the park, Alix was relieved to see the giant block of ice missing. She had been worried that the cure wouldn’t remove it, but she was glad to see it did. Marinette was running around the park now, chasing the little girl while Alya was scrolling through her phone, no doubt looking for some footage of the akuma battle for her blog. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The child hopped up onto the edge of the fountain, giggly happily. “I just knew she’d do it! I told you Marinette, I told you!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You sure did!” Marinette laughed, picking the girl up and removing her from the fountain. “She kept her promise, just like she said she would.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s ‘cause Chartreux is the bestest hero ever!” Alix’s heart absolutely burst in her chest when she heard that. Her, the bestest? She forced the happy tears down, but she couldn’t keep the goofy grin that spread across her face. “Only the bestest keep their promises!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s right! Right, Alya?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The other teen was still buried in her phone, but she did flash a thumbs up. Alix supposed she could forgive the other girl for naming her blog after that big dumbass.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Plagg started nipping at her fingertips from inside her pocket, clearly too eager to eat the cheese Alix had gone through so much trouble for. With one last glance at the trio in the park, Alix started jogging back to the school. It had been a good day in the end, she decided. The universe had given her a bit of a break after all, it seemed. Her partner was starting to treat her more like a hero and less like an annoyance, and she’d won the favour of a kid. That clearly outweighed being overrun by radicals at the deli, in her mind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a good day indeed.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I am not a fan of how I write fight scenes, so I took as much out of this one as possible lmao. Shortest chapter yet, but that's okay. </p>
<p>Next up will be Timebreaker, an episode I've been looking forward to a while now, I'm so excited to get to it!</p>
<p>Want more of these Feral Jocks? I post about them and this AU on my tumblr, @/symphonic-scream, so go check it out!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Timebreaker</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It's Alix's birthday, what could possibly go wrong? Everything, apparently. A race, an akuma, and a favour, how will these two feral jocks face up?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you catch any mistakes, let me know!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Alix didn’t like to make a big deal out of her birthday, none of the Kubdels did nowadays. Her mom used to love birthdays and make a whole spectacle out of it, and her, Jalil, and their dad agreed that it just didn’t feel the same without Aliah Kubdel’s signature enthusiasm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kubdel birthdays now simply consisted of lunch at the restaurant of their choosing, and getting to pass off any chores to someone else for the day. Alix, as always, chose Jalil to take her chores for the day. What kind of little sister would she be if she wasn’t actively trying to ruin his day?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She ended up choosing the same restaurant they’d gone to for her dad’s birthday a few months back, simply because they served a mighty fine steak and she’d need the energy to kick Kim’s ass in their race later. The servers would also serve your drink with those little umbrellas if you asked nicely enough, and Alix liked to pretend her fruit punch was some fruity cocktail from the bar. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix sat back as one of the waiters collected their empty plates, and managed to meet Sabine Cheng’s eyes across the room. She waved at the woman, who smiled back kindly, and returned her wave as she took her seat. Marinette wasn’t with her parents, so this must have been a pretty special lunch, Alix mused. What were the odds that both of their families had important events on the same day? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do we have enough time before your race to order dessert?” Jalil nudged Alix, bringing her attention back to their table. Right, they were having lunch. What time was it? She glanced at the time on her phone, cursing internally. No, there was no way that she’d have enough time to order and eat dessert and still make it to the race. Shit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I’ve gotta get going now if I don’t want to be late, actually. Sorry, Dad.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jalil snorted, but schooled his smile when their dad directed a look in his direction. Alim turned back to Alix, a soft smile on his face. “Don’t worry, we’ll just get something from the Dupian-Cheng bakery when you get home. Before you go, I do have something to give you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That got her attention. The last time her dad had gotten either of them a gift for their birthday was before Mom died. Alix sat up in her seat, very invested now. “Really? You got me something?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not exactly.” Ooh, how cryptic. Alim pulled a small, long box out of the inner pocket of his jacket, sliding it across the table. “I’ve been holding on to this for a few years now, and I think it’s finally time I give it to you, Alix.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix carefully grabbed the box, running her fingers over the black velvet it was made of. Taking a deep breath, she flipped the lid open. Lying inside the box was a long, silver chain necklace with a single black charm in the centre, shaped like an ‘A’. Alix felt her hands start to shake, struggling to get air into her lungs. There was no way that this was what she thought it was, right? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her eyes shot up to meet her dad’s, and the answer was written in the sad smile spread across his face. Alix was holding the necklace that her mother had worn when Alix was young, the same chain that she used to put in her mouth as a child, the same chain her mother had played with to distract herself when assholes at those fancy parties would chat her ears off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you want to put it on, Alix?” She startled a little bit, clutching the chain tighter out of fear of dropping it. She looked up at her dad, trying to blink away the wetness growing in her eyes, and nodded shakily. He got up from his seat, took the necklace into his hands gently and clasped it together behind her neck. One of Alix’s hands drifted up to the charm on its own, and her lower lip wobbled as she rubbed her thumb against it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It looks good on you, Alix.” Jalil piped in, smiling softly at her across the table. Alix nodded back at him, unable to conjure any words. Not that she was thinking much either. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your mom left it to you.” Alim explained softly, now back in his seat. He was looking down at his hands, running his fingers over the smooth wedding band he never took off. “When you were a baby, she used to talk about handing it down to you one day. You sure liked it a lot, back then. She handed it to me one night in the hospital, and told me I’d know when to give it to you. And, well, I thought now was the right time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix just nodded again, her feelings much too strong to let any words out without crying in the middle of the restaurant like a baby. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alim smiled softly, one hand resting on Alix’s in a comforting manner. “Happy birthday, Alix. Good luck with your race, make sure you beat that Kim boy with everything you’ve got.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Right, the race! Oh shit, she was definitely late now. Alix excused herself from the table quickly, smiling at her dad and brother one last time before she was rushing off to the coat room. She’d brought a bag and her skates with her, so she still had a chance of making it to the race before Kim declared himself the winner by default.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Plagg grumbled and nibbled at her hands as she shoved her shoes into her bag, clearly angry that his nap had been disturbed so suddenly. “Hey, watch the kicks there, Kitten! What’s the big rush for? Is there another akuma?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m late for the race, Plagg, I don’t have time to arrange my shoes all nice. Can’t you just faze through them?” Alix asked, trying to calm the quake in her hands long enough to tie her skates properly. She would never live it down if she showed up to the race just to twist her ankle because her skates were too loose.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The kwami groaned, resettling in the hoodie at the bottom of her bag. “Yeah, but that’s so much work!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Skates now tied, Alix zipped her bag shut, and threw it over her shoulder roughly. Plagg’s quiet yelps brought a small smile to her face as she took off, trying not to burn all of her energy before she got there while still making good time.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Of course she was the last one to arrive. Alix came to a halt right in front of the cluster of her classmates, purposely knocking into Kim a little. Her opponent smirked down at her, crossing his arms over his chest. “Well well well, look who finally showed up! I almost thought you were gonna skip out because you know you can’t beat me!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was having lunch with my family, Kimbo.” Alix took her bag off carefully this time, placing it at the base of the step the others were standing on. “It took a little longer than I thought it would, that’s all.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked confused for a split second, before it seemed to hit him. “Oh shit, it’s your birthday isn’t it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d gotten it faster than she expected him to, so that was something he had going for him. She gave him a pat on the shoulder, before turning to the rest of the class. Her eyes immediately drifted to Marinette’s banner, and she was amazed by how good it was. “Woah, Marinette, that’s one sick banner!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Said girl turned a little pink, raising the banner a little to hide behind it as the whole class turned to her. “Oh, it’s nothing special! I’m glad you like it, though!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t be silly, Marinette, it’s really good.” Adrien smiled at her, which only caused the poor girl to go from light pink to red in a few seconds. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah girl, don’t sell yourself short!” Alya was grinning rather mischievously, elbowing her best friend with a wink. “We’ve gotta work on your confidence some more, huh?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marinette mumbled a little behind the banner, before speaking loud enough that everyone could hear her this time. “Thanks guys, but shouldn’t we focus on Alix? It is her birthday!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh, and they all turned back to her. Wonderful. Kim leaned against her, bracing one arm on top of her helmet to use her as an armrest. “You may be older, but you’re still so tiny! Don’t worry though, I won’t go easy on you just because oompa loompas are taller than you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That comment earned him a firm kick to the shins. While Kim hopped and hissed, clutching his shin, Max stepped out of the cluster. “Well, I think it’s about time we got this show on the road. Two laps around the square, first one to cross the line drawn in chalk by yours truly wins. If there is a false start, we will reset. If Kim makes it back first, he wins Alix’s skates. If Alix wins, Kim will be limited to one dare a week for the rest of the year. Are both competitors ready?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hell yeah!” Kim cheered, lowering himself into his starting position. “Better enjoy those skates while you still can, pipsqueak, ‘cause they’re about to be mine!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah right.” There was no way Alix was losing this, there was too much riding on it. Sure, she could always get her dad to buy her a new pair of skates, but her classmates were counting on her to save them from being roped into dares they had little hopes of winning day in and day out. If she lost this for them, then she was a mockery of a hero. “You’ll be eating my dust.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix got into position, and just as Max started counting down, she remembered the chain around her neck. The chances of it breaking during the race were low, but Alix didn’t want to take any chances. Afterall, it was one of the few pieces of her mother that she had besides old photos. No race would ever matter more. “Wait!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim glared up at her, but Alix ignored him and rolled over to the class. She scanned the group gathered as she reached behind her to unclip the necklace, debating who she could leave it with. Marinette would be a good option if the girl wasn’t so damn clumsy, plus she and Alya were holding up that banner. Adrien was another good choice, but he was almost too trusting. If someone with malicious intent asked to hold it, he’d just let them, and that wouldn’t do. Who was left at that point? Alix was friends with the whole class, but she wanted someone who’d understand just why it meant so much to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her eyes landed on Chloe, who was standing in the back on her phone, no doubt pretending to not be paying attention. Despite everything that had happened between the two of them over the years, Chloe was one of a few people who knew just how wrecked Alix had been by her mom’s passing. And, with her recent attempts at becoming a better version of herself, Alix was willing to put her faith in the blonde heiress.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Chloe?” The mayor’s daughter’s head shot up, sky blue eyes meeting Alix’s as her eyebrows drew together in confusion. Alix nudged her classmates aside, winding up standing directly in front of the other girl. “Can you hold on to this for me during the race? I don’t want it to get broken.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their classmates started muttering, but Alix ignored them and held the chain out to Chloe. The heiress scoffed, turning her head to the side, though her eyes lingered on Alix’s face. “And why would I do such a thing? Looks kind of trashy, really.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix took a deep breath, trying to keep herself from exploding. She doesn’t know yet, she told herself, rolling her shoulders back to calm herself down. “It means a lot to me, and I trust you to take good care of it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t see why you’d come to that conclusion.” God, why was she making this so difficult? Right, this was still Chloe. She may be getting better little by little, but she still had a long way to go. Besides, she’s always been pretty stubborn.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was my mom’s.” That got her. Chloe’s head shot back around, eyes wide as she looked between the chain and Alix. “My dad gave it to me during lunch, and I’d really appreciate it if you kept it safe during the race.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was completely silent as the two girls stared at each other, and Alix held her breath as Chloe stayed silent. After what felt like an hour but was bound to be only a few seconds, the heiress reached out and took the necklace, her soft hand brushing against Alix’s in the process. Chloe’s cheeks gained a slightly pink tint, and the girl pouted ever so slightly as the skater smiled at her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine, I’ll hold this dinky little chain for you.” Chloe looked away, glaring at a tree in the distance. After a second she looked back at Alix, before looking away again, face going more pink.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix rolled back up to the starting line, pointedly ignoring the stares the rest of the class sending her way. She didn’t regret her decision one bit. She nodded to Max once she was in place, and the countdown started again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“On your marks, get set, go!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Kim took off like a bullet, pumping his arms and legs like he meant it. He didn’t actually want Alix’s skates, but there was no way he’d let the pipsqueak win and dictate when he could issue his challenges. Kim was an independent athlete, he wasn’t about to hand the reins over to someone else!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were neck and neck for the entire first lap. Kim was okay with that, really. He was tied for first, and also last, so technically he wasn’t losing yet! The second lap was going pretty much the same, except Alix was starting to pull ahead. Kim cursed under his breath, pushing himself harder. He made the mistake of glancing at his competitor, and the next thing he knew he was slamming into someone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim and the random dude toppled to the ground, both grunting and groaning. Kim didn’t feel like he broke anything in his body, so he started to push himself up. The guy he slammed into looked like any old dude; short white hair, weird musketeer-looking moustache, a glare directed at Kim. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Watch where you’re going, hoodlum.” The man grumbled, looking down his nose at Kim despite the fact that it was rather obvious that if they were standing, Kim would be taller. “I should have you arrested for assault and battery.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Woah, man, it was an accident!” Kim scooted away from the man, quickly putting his hands up in surrender. By now Alix was looping back to see what was going on, and Kim wanted nothing more than to never see this guy again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The dude pulled himself to his feet, patting down the pockets of his ugly grey suit. A metallic crunching sound came from one of the pockets of his jacket, and the man hurriedly reached into it, only to pull out the pieces of what looked like a broken watch. “My, my watch! You broke my fucking watch!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, leave him alone!” Alix barked, coming to a stop beside Kim. She offered him a hand, and when he took it she helped him to his feet. “You’re just as at fault as he is, you had plenty of time to duck out of the way.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man simply sneered at them in response, turned, and stormed away. Kim and Alix shared a look of disgust, then walked back to the cluster of their classmates.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you alright, Kim?” Marinette asked, handing her corner of the banner in order to run over and inspect him. “That was quite a nasty trip you had there.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim brushed her away gently, smiling at his friend. “No need to worry, asif something as lowly as a small fall would be able to hurt me!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That comment earned him a collective groan from the whole class, but it did get Marinette to crack a small smile, so mission accomplished, Kim decided.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, based on the results of the race, the most logical course of action would be to reschedule again another day.” Max pushed his glasses back up his nose, pulling out his phone. “According to the forecast for the next week, our best option appears to be a week from today.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The class groaned again, and this time Kim joined in. He couldn’t wait a week to get the results, he wanted them as soon as possible! The only upside was that he had a whole week of unregulated dares guaranteed. Not that he planned on losing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The group started to pack up, and Kim started to jog over to the bag he brought and stashed by a tree when a series of screams sounded out from the street. When Kim looked over to check, he had to fight off a laugh. It appeared to be another akuma, but this was one of the goofiest ones yet. He was dressed in a full suit, white with black numbers scribbled all over in varying sizes and fonts, and he wore a bowler hat of the same design. The akuma was swinging a long chain with something round on the end, hitting the people around him with it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The laughter in his throat died away when the people started to fade away. Oh jeez, Kim realized, this dude was dusting people! Kim scooped up his bag and sprinted for shelter, trying to find the closest safe place to transform.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry about your race, Kim.” Tikki flew out of his bag, circling his head as he ditched the bag behind the pillar he’d found. “This akuma seems dangerous, though, so you have to be careful, okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dangerous, careful, got it.” Kim peered around the corner, shaking out the tremors in his hands. “Alright, Tikki, spots on!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The magic washed over him, and Crimson Beetle raced towards the edge of the landing, and leaped over the railing. He landed in the classic super hero crouch just in front of the stairs he just jumped over, and winced at the arc of pain it caused in his knee. He made a mental note to never do that one again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One look around and he spotted the akuma. The man was swinging his little chain again, and whipped it out and hit Ivan. The tall boy froze, and slowly he started to fade from existence. The akuma looked down at the circle on the end of his chain, frowning down at it. “Damn, five more.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stop it right there, uh, you!” Kim faltered in the last part of his command, but he got the point across. The akuma looked over at him, glared, then blatantly disobeyed him and started running at more of Kim’s classmates. “Hey, I said to stop!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I, Timebreaker, don’t take orders from children.” The akuma hissed, hitting Mylene with the chain thing. “All I need is the energy of four more people and I’ll be able to go back in time and stop that brat from smashing my prized pocket watch!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ow, Kim thought, charging after Timebreaker. Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of Chartreux Noire vaulting over one of the railings near the stairs. He was kind of peeved that she showed up again, late this time, but it was whatever at this point. He was getting used to having the little cat around to give him a hand when he needed it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two heroes boxed the akuma in against a wall, allowing the area to empty itself. Crimson Beetle smirked, folding his arms over his chest. “Haha, what’re you gonna do now? There’s no one else left to dust, clock man!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Timebreaker’s face broke out into a creepy grin, and he started swinging the chain again. “Oh, how wrong you are, you insolent fool.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It all happened too fast. First, the akuma darted forwards, chain extending towards Crimson Beetle. Before he could even react, Chartreux Noire was pushing him out of the way, her little body freezing as the chain hit her. Kim could only stare in horror as the other hero started to fade away, hands still extended from pushing him out of the way.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No, no, no no no! Kim reached a hand out, and his chest contracted harshly as he passed right through her. This isn’t how it’s supposed to go, heroes aren't supposed to die! And, and she was gone because of him, he realized. He’d been too busy taunting the akuma, and she sacrificed her life to save him! The worst part was, he wasn’t so sure he would have done the same thing mere seconds ago.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Timebreaker laughed, looking at the end of his chain again. From this new distance, Kim could finally make out that it was a watch. “Just as I suspected. The power from your little play toys is enough to fill the gage completely. I can finally go back and correct the wrongs that were committed against me!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He clicked something on the watch, causing it to start to glow. He started swinging it again, and Kim watched as an image started to flicker into view inside the ring. The akuma started to walk through it, but there was no way Kim was letting him get away, not after what he’d done to Chartreux. Kim leapt to his feet, rushing forwards, and tackled the akuma right through the ring the watch had carved in the air.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>On the other side, Kim found himself piled on top of the akuma, that man from earlier, and, wait a minute, was that himself?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No!” Timebreaker growled, shoving his hands into the man’s pockets. He pulled out the watch, still broken. “Dammit! I’m going to have to go back farther!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then it clicked. They’d gone back in time! He had a chance to save Chartreux! Crimson Beetle pulled the other Kim to his feet, shoving him in the direction of the rest of the class. “Get out of here, kid, warn your friends, this is a dangerous akuma!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Other Kim looked pretty confused, but he did as he was told. When first Kim turned back to the akuma, there were suddenly two of him. Oh fuck, the watch man was the akuma! The two Timebreakers turned to him, before breaking out in opposite reactions to chase civilians.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim chased after the one that went after the classmates, trying to give his friends and his other self a chance to get away. He swung his yo-yo out at the akuma, and pulled back hard when it was wrapped around him. He managed to stop the akuma in his tracks, but his hold wouldn’t last for long.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luckily for him, the past versions of Crimson Beetle and Chartreux appeared near the stairs. The two heroes split up, the bug hero going after the other Timebreaker while the cat came to help the original Beetle. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Am I seeing double or is this suddenly the worst day of my life?” Chartreux called out, knocking the akuma back by poking his chest rather harshly with her staff. “You got a plan, Beetle Boy?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim fought the urge to wrap the cat up in his arms. This wasn’t his Chartreux, the one who gave her life for his. He had to make sure she would never have to make that choice. “Get your Crimson Beetle to push the other one towards the stairs, and I’ll do the same over here. Tell him to call on his lucky charm once we’re both there, okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chartreux nodded, sprinting over to relay the information to the other hero. Kim got to work on his side of the plan, using his yo-yo to lash at the feet of the akuma, driving him back as he tried to catch his breath from the heroine’s attack.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Soon everyone was grouped up by the stairs, and Kim nodded at the other Crimson Beetle. “Lucky charm!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Both heroes had received frisbees, and looked at each other in confusion. Before they could discuss a way to use them, the Timebreakers were back on their feet, watches swinging wildly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t let them touch you with the watches!” Kim managed to bark out before he was forced to jump back, using the frisbee as a shield. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The heroes danced around the courtyard, dodging watches left and right. Then, Kim had an opening. Taking it, he whipped his arm out, sending the disk straight into the forehead of the akuma, knocking him right out. With his added hero strength, Kim had even sent the akuma back a few inches. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The other Timebreaker looked over at his teammate in concern, giving the other Crimson Beetle the perfect chance to knock him out as well. With both akumas out cold on the ground, Chartreux sauntered up to both and took their watches.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim grabbed the arm of the other Crimson Beetle, turning him forcefully to meet his eyes. “Listen here, me. That girl? You better appreciate her, you got me? She’s the best damn partner you could ever ask for.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, yeah, sure.” The other Crimson Beetle looked a little freaked out, and Kim hoped the message got across to him. Both Beetles took one of the watches from Chartreux, breaking them in perfect unison. They each cleansed one of the little butterflies that flew out, and threw their lucky charms into the air together. “Miraculous Ladybug!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alix let out a heavy breath, leaning back against one of the benches lining the plaza. What a birthday this turned out to be, she mused to herself, scratching Plagg’s head from inside her pocket. She had been sitting there since she dropped her transformation, staring down at her skates as they slid lazily over the ground.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Alix?” A voice called out to her. Alix looked around slowly, before noticing the blonde figure jogging up to her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Odd, Alix thought. She’d never seen Chloe move faster than a brisk walk outside of gym class unless it was a childish game at one of the parties, meant to lose Nathalie in the crowds. “Yo, what’s up?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The heiress came to a stop in front of the bench, her eyebrows drawn together. “I, well, I-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She cut herself off, shaking her head. One hand shot out towards Alix, her mother’s chain necklace hanging safely from Chloe’s fingers. It was completely unharmed. Alix took it back slowly, not having the energy to keep her fingers from brushing Chloe’s. “I knew I could count on you to keep it safe for me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chloe’s face went dark pink in a flash, only darkening as Alix smiled up at her while clipping the necklace around her neck once more. The heiress turned her head away, ponytail swishing behind her from the force of her spin. “Don’t mention it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix looked down at the ‘A’ charm, tracing its edges with her finger. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone that Chloe Bourgeois can do nice things for her friends.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chloe giggled a little, glancing back at Alix in a manner that was almost too shy for her. A small, gentle smile grew on her face, much prettier than the sneer that was usually in its place. “Thank you, Alix.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chloe left soon after that, and Alix only stuck around until she got bored of watching the pigeons fly by. Her dad kept his word when she got home, and took her to get a couple of her favourite eclairs from the Dupain Cheng bakery. What a birthday after all.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Woo, 6 episodes done, a ton more to go. The ending was a little rushed on my end, but it is what it is. I hope you all liked it! Up next is a big one for this AU, Lady Wifi! </p>
<p>If you caught any mistakes, have a suggestion or complaint, or just want to comment on something I did that felt weird to you, please let me know, I want to do my best with this AU</p>
<p>Craving more feral jock content? I post bout them on my tumblr, @/symphonic-scream come check it out</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Lady Wifi</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Is the truth really all that important? Who's to say. This new akuma sure has an opinion on it, and Alix and Kim have to take that on in another superpowered fight.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>It's finally here! Lady Wifi! I hope you all like it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chloe Bourgeois has a secret, a secret she absolutely cannot let out. If anyone caught wind of this, she’d be absolutely done for! Her reputation, her status, everything she has going for her at this damned school will be down the drain in a second if everyone found out she was completely in love with one of Paris’ new heroes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The hero worship was embarrassing enough on its own, heroes were a pretty geeky thing until recently after all, but having everyone find out that </span>
  <em>
    <span>the</span>
  </em>
  <span> Chloe Bourgeois was in love with another girl? She’d be done, over, better off dead. She’d only ever told Adrien about her feelings towards women and Chartreux specifically, and she planned to keep it that way. No one could find out that she was a lesbian.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sabrina was talking her ears off about something, Chloe lost track of it ages ago, as the two girls opened their lockers. School was a bore and a waste of time, but skipping was too much work if she was being honest. Chloe started pulling books from her locker, and she paused when the back wall of her locker was exposed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Okay, so maybe she’d paid a ridiculous amount to have someone make her a framed photo of her being caught by the cat hero, what of it? She’d saved her life, it was a very important moment for Chloe! It didn’t help that Chartreux looked very attractive in the photo with the ruffled hair, big, caring eyes, and that little smile, oh how it got Chloe’s heart beating. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chloe closed her locker door quickly, whipping her head around. She had to make sure no one saw it. It was risky business keeping it in her locker at school, but she simply couldn’t get through the day without seeing the little hero’s smile. “Come one, Sabrina. There’s no use staying here too long with these chumps wandering around.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of-of course!” The other girl stuttered, scurrying along behind Chloe. The heiress completely missed the slight pink tint to her friend’s face, just as she missed the reporter lurking behind the corner. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Today feels like it’s going to be a good day, she thought.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“This is the best day ever!” Alya grinned, pulling Nino out of the classroom by the back of his jacket. She couldn’t trust this to Marinette, the poor girl would have a heart attack at just the idea of what Alya was suggesting and Adrien was a little too close to the problem at hand. The problem being Chloe, of course.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nino struggled against her hold, his hands slapping uselessly against the one pulling her along. “And, uh, why’s that dude?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alya came to a halt at the edge of the locker room, a grin splitting her face. “I just got the juiciest scoop, the fans of the Beetle Blog are just going to eat this shit up!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And what is it, exactly?” Alya ignored the question, scanning the locker room waiting for… there! </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She quickly pushed Nino into the room. “I need you to distract Chloe so I can get a picture of the inside of her locker as proof!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Proof of what?” He squealed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Proof that Chloe Bourgeois is dating Chartreux Noire!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Kim was already sick of school and it wasn’t even lunch time yet. He’d once complained about school to Tikki at night while completing his mountain of science homework and she’d hit him with the big talk about how it was important for his future and all that. Kim thought that that was a pile of horse shit, why would he need to know about atoms and all that if he was just going to be an athlete?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was lucky enough to miss the first few minutes of class, although he wasn’t too proud of why. He didn’t expect Chloe to lay into Alya that hard, he honestly thought she’d settle for a week of detention or something! Tikki had been giving him a disappointed look from his bag all class now, and it was starting to get to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix and Max had looked rather worried when he shuffled into class behind a still fuming Chloe and a smug Sabrina. Kim didn’t want to have to explain to his friends that he was part of the reason that Alya wouldn’t be coming to school for the next while, it wouldn’t paint him as the heroic guy he was trying to be.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What were they even talking about in class? Ms Bustier was still going on about something, but the board remained blank. Shit, maybe he could peek at Max’s notes? Kim leaned over slightly to peer at his seat partner’s notes, only for him to find the page blank. Why wasn’t Max taking any notes?!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ms Bustier started pulling down the screen they used to watch movies and documentaries, and Kim’s heart started to calm itself. Maybe she’d just been explaining the movie they were going to watch? Hopefully there wasn’t a related assignment. Eh, if there was, he’d just beg Alix and Max to tell him. Or maybe Nino, that dude loves his movies, he’d know for sure.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However before the movie could start, the screen erupted into static. A figure appeared on the screen, dressed in black with a black mask. An akuma? “Hey Paris, this is Lady Wifi bringing you the greatest scoop ever! I hate liars, so for tonight’s special broadcast I’ll be bringing their lies into the limelight! Let’s start with you. Is it true that you suspended star student Alya Cesaire unfairly this afternoon?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The screen blurred for a second, before they were staring at Mr Damocles sitting at his desk, a look of fear and shame on his face. “Y-yes, that is true.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You heard it here, folks.” Lady Wifi snickered, pausing the man in place behind his desk. The class erupted in gasps and murmurs as the camera shifted back to the akuma. “That’s just a taste of what I have in store for you all tonight! Tune back in later and I’ll be revealing the Parisian lucky enough to call hero Chartreux Noire theirs!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wait, the cat hero was dating someone? The class realized the same thing, and started chattering among themselves lowly. Kim really should be rushing off to transform, but Lady Wifi didn’t seem all that dangerous at the moment. It’d be easier to track her down later anyways, right?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you think Alya really figured out who Chartreux Noire is dating?” Mylene asked, turning to face Max. If anyone would be able to tell if Alya truly knew her stuff, it would be him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Max tilted his head slightly, tapping one finger against the side of his phone. “I cannot say whether or not she knows for sure, but there is a chance she could have figured it out. Her blog does draw a lot of attention, and she knows a lot more about both Crimson Beetle and Chartreux Noire than the average person.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think it’s bullshit, if you ask me.” Alix scoffed, glaring at the front of the class. “What’s to say Chartreux is even dating anyone? And say she is, she’d probably be real careful about it, to keep that person safe and all that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“True, true.” Kim never thought of it that way. If he ever dated someone, would he be able to trust them to keep his secret? Would he be putting them in danger? That wasn’t something that they ever talked about in the cartoons or movies. Would he ever be willing to risk someone else’s safety just for love?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He wasn’t able to focus for the rest of class. It was honestly kinda weird that class still went on despite the active akuma, but then again Mr Damocles was still frozen in his office and wasn’t able to tell them all to go home anyways. The second class let out, Kim started his sprint home. If he beat his sister home, he’d be able to transform and chase down Lady Wifi without having to come up with some lie to distract her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim unlocked the front door, and lucky him, no one was home. He took off his shoes but carried them to his room so he wouldn’t be leaving any evidence behind. He put them back on when he got out onto the fire escape, Tikki hovering over his shoulder the whole time. “You waited so long, Kim. Do you have any idea where Lady Wifi could have gone in all this time?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alya was snooping around Chloe, so she could be by the hotel.” Kim answered, jumping to his feet. “If she’s not there, well, I’ll just swing around until she makes her next broadcast. She’s not very dangerous, Tikki.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I somehow doubt that.” Tikki warned him, but he knew he was right. He’d take down Lady Wifi by the end of the hour, no problem. He probably wouldn’t even need that cat to help him out this time!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spots on!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The hotel wasn’t too far from Kim’s place if he was transformed, so Crimson Beetle made good time. He landed on the roof across the street, ready to swing across when he spotted the hero of the hour perched on the edge of the roof, looking across the way with a set of binoculars. “Oh, it’s you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who else do you know that just hangs out on the roofs in Paris?” She snarked back, not even looking up from her binoculars. “Sure took you a while to get here. Did it seriously take you this long to figure out who she’s after?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh, this little cat bitch wasn’t about to give him the same talk he got from Tikki. “No, I knew almost right away. I just couldn’t get away to transform!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Likely story.” Chartreux grunted, finally putting down the spy glasses. She looked a little put off, almost like there was something that was making her uneasy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Didn’t think blondes would be your type.” Crimson Beetle joked awkwardly, squinting at the hotel. His eyes weren't good enough for him to be able to make out Chloe from that distance, but he assumed that she was the one Chartreux had been spying on. “I mean, I can totally see it, but also not? She’d a bit of a bitch if I’m being honest.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s not a bitch, she’s trying to be good.” The shorter hero bit out, tail lashing. “She’s not my girlfriend either, I’m not even into her.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That sounded like a whole pile of dog shit to him, but he wasn’t about to anger the girl any further. No one watches someone like that and defends their honour so aggressively while not being into them even a little. “Yeah, sure thing there. See anything interesting before I interrupted your stalking?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chartreux rolled her eyes and refused to address the stalking comment. “Well…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Chloe dropped to one knee, one hand pressed to her heart, the other gently holding the hand of the object of her affection. “My darling, you haven’t left my mind once since you first smashed your way through, just like you smashed that window at Adrien’s birthday party. Your eyes are like the freshest lime and the bluest lake, but oh so deep. I get lost in them so easily, my love.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chloe got to her feet, doing a little spin, before placing her hands on either side of them with a wink. “You’re the cat’s meow, baby.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The eyes of the custom Chartreux Noire doll she had made stared back at her, unblinking. Still, the doll seemed to cringe at her after that last one. Chloe groaned, picking the doll up carefully and holding it to her chest. “I know, that one was awful. I shouldn’t take advice from Adrien, ever. One day I’ll be saying these things to the real you, and I don’t want to use Adrien’s dumb pun material.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The doll, once again, did not respond. Chloe pulled it away from her chest to give it a good look, removing its little hood in the process. The artist she ordered it from did a really good job, she had to admit. Chloe gave the mini Chartreux a kiss on her little forehead, then placed her carefully on her bed. This was the best purchase she’d ever made!</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Kim fell over laughing, just barely managing to keep himself on the roof. Chloe Bourgeois was practicing flirting on a doll? A doll of Chartreux Noire? This was the best day of his life!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If she were to find out you laughed at her she’d probably kill you.” Yeah, she would, but did he care? No! He was loving every second of this, there was nothing that could ruin this day for him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d like to see her try.” Crimson Beetle responded, leaning on the little cat hero like she was an armrest. “The day Chloe Bourgeois is a serious threat to my safety is the day Paris burns to the ground and I start speaking Chinese.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chartreux looked him up and down, squinting at him through her mask. “That would be a funnier statement if you were actually Chinese, you know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean, probably, yeah.” He was a little surprised she could tell he wasn’t Chinese. Many people he met just assumed that anyone who looked remotely asian was from China, and rarely did they ever correctly guess that his family was from Vietnam. “But the point is that I’ll probably never learn Chinese.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I got that, I’m just saying it would be funnier if you were Chinese and saying you’d never learn it.” He didn’t quite get the joke, but he didn’t have the time to do it either. “Look, she’s here!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Both heroes shot across the street, ready to bust in and snatch up Lady Wifi’s akuma. Chartreux broke through the glass window first, jumping out of her roll and into a protective stance in front of Chloe. Crimson Beetle came through behind her, but his landing was anything but graceful. He stumbled and tripped, but luckily enough he landed on his feet. Still pretty embarrassing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This just in Paris, the hero of the day has arrived!” Lady Wifi taunted, closing in on Chartreux. Kim was a little peeved that she was getting all the attention today, but he’d let it slide. After all, it was because Alya believed she was dating Chloe Bourgeois. “What do you have to say for yourself, little hero? I found your little girlfriend!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not dating Chloe Bourgeois.” Chartreux growled out, pointing aggressively at Lady Wifi. “I’m not dating anyone! Plus, it would be none of your business if I was dating anyone, so just calm it, alright?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Okay so apparently telling an akuma to calm down is never the right answer. Lady Wifi snarled at Chartreux, her grin turning malicious. “Hey Paris, change of plans! Tonight I’ll be bringing you the greatest scoop ever, the identities of Crimson Beetle and Chrtreux Noire!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Woah woah woah woah woah!” Kim did not agree to this, she didn’t have his consent for this! He couldn’t be the hero that got his identity revealed not even a year into his hero career! “Can’t we just talk this out? I’m sure we can come to some sort of agreement!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ohoho, we’re way past talking now, Little Bug!” Lady Wifi shut off her broadcast, and began shooting little discs at them from her phone. Both heroes scrambled away, Chartreux picking up a paused Chloe along the way. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a mad chase through the hotel, but at one point they lost Lady Wifi. The powerup from the miraculous meant that Kim wasn’t even tired yet, when he’d usually be panting on his knees. They’d ended up in what looked like some conference room, but Kim had no clue where. The lights had been cut sometime during their chase, not that he knew his way around the hotel to begin with. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chartreux had been carrying the frozen Chloe the whole time, and finally put her down by the table in the middle of the room. “I don’t know if you can hear me, Purrincess, but if you get unpaused, stay here, okay? We’ll take care of this, I promise.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chloe did not respond. It was probably because she was paused, but Kim wouldn’t bet on it. After all, if he were paused, he’d surely overcome it by the sheer force of his will and fighting spirit!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do we do now?” He asked, turning to Chartreux. She had been the one leading him through the hotel, so chances were she knew her way around. He’d be better off following her for this one.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her tail flicked as she stood there in thought. “She can get access to the cameras, so we shouldn’t stay here too long. We should choose a nice open room to lure her in so we can fight her.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So like, the lobby?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Too obvious.” Damn, just come for his whole brand why don’t you. “Plus, she could escape out into the street too easily. The dining room, the big grand one, that’s the best spot. We can chase her into the kitchen if we have to.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yeah, that actually sounded like a real plan. Kim felt kinda bad for doubting her all along, since most of his plans so far had been just to punch it out. Maybe that other him from that last akuma was right, maybe he should be grateful he’s got Chartreux on his side. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She led him through the halls of the hotel quietly, both looking around for Lady Wifi. Well, Chartreux was looking around. Crimson Beetle couldn’t see very far in the dark, but he didn’t want her to know he was depending on her to guide him like he was blind. They entered the dining room carefully, and he noticed something a little weird.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why are there a bunch of phones on the tables?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lady Wifi popped up in the middle of the room, most likely hiding under one of the tables, and started shooting those little discs at them again. Kim threw his yo-yo at her hoping to knock her phone out of her hand. Rather than get hit, the akuma disappeared from her spot on the table, reappearing on the other end of the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s teleporting through the phones!” He shouted, ducking under more of the funky discs. He’d lost Chartreux in the chaos, and it was pretty hard to find a tiny figure dressed in black in a pitch dark room while trying to track down a teleporting enemy, okay? He was trying his best!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He locked on her again, and in a split second decision he picked up the nearest phone and chucked it at her. Lady Wifi caught the phone before teleporting away again. Next thing Kim knew, something smacked him in the back of the head hard, sending him toppling to the floor. When he opened his eyes, he was staring right at the Nokia he had thrown. “Damn it!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Smash the phones!” His partner’s voice called out from somewhere in the room, followed by the sound of glass shattering. “She can’t use them if they’re broken!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yeah, that made a lot of sense. Kim picked up the Nokia, and slammed it into the floor with all his might. The tile floor cracked, but when he lifted the phone, it was still intact. “What the fuck? This one won’t break!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you mean it won’t break?” Chartreux called back, before grunting. She was probably dealing with the akuma while Kim looked like an idiot, struggling to break one little phone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It won’t break! I broke the damn floor but this fucking Nokia is still fine!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a collection of loud bangs and other fighting noises, and then Chartreux was in front of him once more. She ripped the phone from his hands, and simply threw it right out the window, smashing it and a car on the street below as well if the alarm that sounded meant anything. “There, problem solved.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim got up off the ground, surprised to see the other phones smashed and Lady Wifi seething at the other end of the room. Damn, cat girl worked fast! “So, time to beat her up?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kitchen first, closed space gives us an advantage ‘cause there’s less room for her to run.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But won’t there also be less room for us to run?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Neither of them spoke for a split second, just staring at each other. They then shrugged in unison, before sprinting off towards the kitchen. They burst through the doors together, spinning around to watch as Lady Wifi stumbled in behind them. “Would you two just knock it off? You’re making this much harder than it really needs to be!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s gotta be a no from me.” Crimson Beetle answered, doing his best to mimic the fighting stance he often saw when watching MMA matches on the TV with his mom. “I don’t think you’ve done enough work yet, personally.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chartreux grinned beside him, bending her knees ever so slightly. “I agree with the big dumbass, for once. If you want to know who I am you’re gonna have to work a whole lot harder!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If that’s how you’re going to be, then fine.” The akuma huffed, before rushing at the two heroes. They split apart, and Lady Wifi came to a stop just in front of the industrial freezer. She turned to them again and started shooting off the discs, sticking a pause or fast forward on the pots and other kitchen stuff laying around. “Stop moving, damn it!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yeah, no thank you. Kim was getting pretty tired of just running around though, so he decided to break out the big guns. “Lucky charm!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh lord, seriously? Chartreux stared at the item in his hands aw well, clearly as concerned as he was. “Did it seriously give you a blow torch?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, it did.” Damn, whoever chose the lucky charms really meant business. First that grenade, now this blow torch? Well, Kim decided, rolling his shoulders. It worked the first time, it was bound to work now. “Hey, Wifi bitch! I’ll torch that phone of yours!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chartreux scrambled across the kitchen away from him as he turned on the blowtorch, and it almost delighted him to see the look of fear cross Lady Wifi’s face for the split second it was there. “You wouldn’t actually try to destroy my phone with fire.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh yes I would!” Crimson Beetle dashed forward, extending the blow torch in front of him. Lady Wifi backed up quickly, pressing back against the door to the freezer. Chartreux leaped in quickly, cataclysming the door to the freezer and sending Lady Wifi tumbling back into it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her phone shot out of her hand when she hit the floor, sliding under one of the shelves. Chartreux ran after the phone, tossing it right to Kim for purification after she finally got a hold of it. He broke it quickly, purifying it with no problem at all. He was really getting the hang of the whole heal the butterfly thing. Like, if they made it an Olympic event, he’d win gold easily.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And with that done, it was time for his favourite part. “Miraculous Ladybug!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dodging Alya’s requests for an interview on the spot was difficult, but luckily Alix’s ring made it very clear that she needed to get out of there fast if she was going to avoid revealing that she was actually Chartreux Noire. Crimson Beetle hopped along behind her for a black before she turned to confront him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why the hell are you following me?” She squinted up at him, extremely ungrateful for the height difference. Why did he have to be so damn tall while she was so tiny? Maybe the bad luck power extended to her as well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked pretty awkward standing there, one hand rubbing at the back of his neck while his eyes flitted over the roof they were standing on. “I just, I wanted to tell you I’m sorry for the way I’ve acted towards you. It took me far too long to notice it, but I’m really lucky to have you as my partner. If you’ll still have me, that is.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix blinked up at him, mind empty. Was this really happening or was this another dream? This whole time he’d treated her like an unwanted piece of trash, and now he’s finally coming around to the idea that they could work together? What kind of witchcraft was responsible for this?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her silence only seemed to make him more anxious, the other hero started to fold in on himself. “Look, you don’t have to say anything, but I just wanted you to know that I can’t do this without you, okay? I need you, Noire.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix’s lips twitched upwards at his words. “About time you came around, Beetle Boy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re good then?” He perked up, an excited grin breaking out on his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re good.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck yeah!” Crimson Beetle did a little jump, pumping his fists with more energy than he should have left after that mad chase through the hotel. “Hawk Moth better watch his ass, cause we’re gonna beat the shit outta it!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please rephrase.” She cringed. Yeah, this guy sure had a way with words. Her ring beeped again. Crap, Alix barely had a minute left to book it across the city. “I gotta bounce, good work today though.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The bigger hero stopped his little victory dance, grabbing a hold of the back of her jacket before she could vault away. “Hold on, before you leave I think we should do that Buddy Bump we did last time! Y’know, like a little ‘Good Job’ to ourselves, yeah?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As long as you never call it a Buddy Bump again, sure.” Crimson Beetle lit up like an excited child, backing up so he could get a bit of a running start. Alix did the same, and the pair jumped at each other, shoulders first.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Woo!” The boy cheered, pulling down her hood to mess with her hair as she squawked in protest. “Alright, see you next time, Noire!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She watched him bounce away for a second, before bounding away herself. Despite the whole ordeal where all of Paris was convinced she was dating Chloe Bourgeois for a hot minute, the night turned out alright for Alix. Not that dating Chloe would be awful, she mused to herself, smiling quietly to herself at the thought. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>What did y'all think? Things are finally getting going and these two idiots are finally getting along! </p>
<p>I also included a few more POV shifts than I did in the last few chapters. Like it, hate it? Let me know</p>
<p>Feeling like you need more feral jock energy in your life? Come check out my tumblr @/symphonic-scream I post about them quite a bit there, and my asks are always open</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Filler: Rich Kid Party</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A flashback to the night Alix first met Adrien and Chloe</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This one was written rather quickly, so if you see any mistakes let me know</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Nathalie Sancoeur never imagined that she’d be working as a personal assistant for </span>
  <em>
    <span>the</span>
  </em>
  <span> Gabriel Agreste one day, nor that her job would include following his six-year-old son around a party her boss was hosting. Gabriel, and by extension his wife Emilie, were too busy entertaining their many rich guests, so it was up to Nathalie to watch over young Adrien. Emilie had insisted that he be allowed to roam free. In her words, “I don’t want him to feel bored, I want him to genuinely enjoy the party! But keep an eye on him, we can’t have him causing too much trouble.” Emilie had then winked, and that was that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Within a minute Nathalie went from watching Adrien Agreste to following Adrien Agreste and Chloe Bourgeois as they tried to find Gabriel and Emilie again, just to ask if the two could run off to Adrien’s room for the remainder of the party. Running into the Bourgeois family had been an experience Nathanlie will probably never recover from. Adrien had broken out into a dead sprint at the sight of his best friend, and the dirty look Nathalie received from Audrey had nearly given the young woman a heart attack.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why hello, Adrien!” Andre Bourgeois, owner of the Grand Paris Hotel and local politician, leaned down to Adrien’s height, nodding to Nathalie on the way down. Behind him, his wife continued to scowl. “You look rather dashing this evening, like a little prince!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you, uncle Andre!” Adrien smiled wide, showing off his missing tooth. Emilie had spent close to an hour wrestling the squirmy boy into a then wrinkle-free mint green dress shirt, a little black tie, black dress pants, and shined oxfords. Adrien had pulled out the puppy eyes against his mother, and had tried to convince her that no one would care if he showed up wearing the black cat crocs he’s worn near constantly for the last six months. “You look nice also!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I assume you want to play with Chloe?” Andre asked, gesturing his daughter forward from her place by her mother’s side. Chloe was dressed in a frilly little light yellow dress with black tights and little yellow flats. Her hair was curled expertly around her shoulders. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Audrey, still sneering, spoke up for the first time. “Andre, dearest, I don’t know if we should let those two run off all on their own. You never know what type of people may find them at a party like this.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Andre didn’t seem to notice the obvious malice in his wife’s tone, or the glaring attack on the other guests, and instead just waved away her worries. “Nonsense, darling, Nathalie will be with them! Run along now, children, and make sure you’re on your best behaviour!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two children grinned at each other, and loudly thanked Andre before taking off. Nathalie didn’t have much trouble trailing them, and was rather glad to be free of Audrey’s glares and snide comments. Adrien and Chloe were giggling as they weaved through the party guests, hands clasped together to avoid losing the other.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When they found Gabriel and Emilie again, the pair were locked in a conversation with a set of party guests that Emilie was not familiar with. The man was rather tall, had a deep tan, short brown hair, a funky moustache, and wore glasses over his blue eyes. The woman by his side, who Nathalie assumed was his wife, had long, dark red hair, the same deep tan, and sharp, sly brown eyes. Beside the man was a young boy, who almost looked like a carbon copy of his father, and attached to the woman’s leg was a rather small little girl, who resembled her mother quite a bit besides her wild brown hair and bright blue eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man seemed to be passively observing the conversation, which appeared to be primarily between Emilie and this new woman. Both women were laughing rather openly for an event like this, and none of them noticed the pair of blonds running up to them until Adrien reached out to tug on his mother’s hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Emilie looked down at her son, and a look of excitement took over her face. “Oh, this is perfect timing! Adrien, dear, I’d like you to meet an old friend of mine. This is Aliah Kubdel, her husband Alim, their son Jalil, and their daughter Alixandria. Aliah, this is my son Adrien, and his friend Chloe.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aliah knelt down, which she was able to do rather easily as she was one of the few women in attendance wearing pants. When she spoke, it was with a slight accent. “It’s nice to meet you Adrien, Chloe. Are you two having a  good time tonight?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Both children nodded, and with great care and a helping hand from Gabriel, Emilie knelt down as well. “I bet you two came to ask if you could go hang out in Adrien’s room, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can we?” Chloe asked, rocking back and forth, from her heels to her toes. Adrien tugged on her hand lightly, and the girl tagged on a “please” at the end.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t see why not.” Gabriel smiled softly, making eye contact with Nathalie. “As long as Nathalie is with you and you’re being safe.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two turned to Nathalie with bright eyes and wide smiles, and there was no way she was saying no to two pairs of the puppy eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before she could agree, however, Aliah was speaking once more. In the time Nathalie had taken her eyes off of her, the woman had managed to tug her daughter forward enough that she stood beside her mother once again. “Say, if it isn’t too much trouble, would the two of you mind letting Alixandria come with you? We just moved back to Paris recently, and she’s about your age, I think.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everyone held their breath as Adrien and Chloe turned to look at each other, then little Alixandria, then back at each other. Adrien turned back to Aliah, smiling his little charmer smile once more. “Okay!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can you handle an extra little one, Miss Nathalie?” Aliah brought it back to Nathalie. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alixandria appeared to be much shier than the two blonds she was used to watching, silently holding onto the sleeve of her mother’s blazer in an iron grip. The young girl was wearing a simple black dress covered in vibrant pink flowers, and the brightest green sneakers in the world. Surely Nathalie could handle two little troublemakers and one shy sweetheart. “I’ll be quite alright, I believe.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chloe, surprisingly, was the one to reach one hand out to Alixandria. Aliah nudged her daughter forwards with a hand on her back, and they all watched silently as the little girl slowly took Chloe’s hand in her own, shyly looking up at the other girl through her bangs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Adrien smiled brightly at the two girls, before tugging them off in the direction of his room. The kids moved like a chain, never letting go of each other, and Nathalie found it rather easy to follow them through the Agreste mansion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As it turned out, Alixandria was only shy at the first meeting. Adrien was quick to coax the brunette into speaking once they were safely in his room, and after not being mocked for her heavy Egyptian-accented French, the girl opened up quickly. She had the same high energy that Adrien got after having a sugary dessert, and was rarely sitting still. Even when Adrien found a three player game for all of them to enjoy, Alixandria was vibrating like a rumbling washing machine in her seat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Through the whole ordeal, Chloe was smiling more than ever. Nathalie saw the girl more frequently than any other kid that wasn’t Adrien, and she was never as happy as she was that night. She almost seemed entranced when Alixandria spun a story about getting lost in the Louvre on her father’s first day at his new job, or the one about how much of a nerd her older brother Jalil was. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The kids had just moved on to the newest dance video game when Adrien’s door opened. Nathalie watched all three children deflate as Emilie and Aliah stepped into the room. “Hey, you survived. I hope Alixandria wasn’t much trouble?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t worry, Mrs Kubdel, Alixandria was perfect.” A perfect little tornado of chaos, that is. Combined with Adrien and Chloe, the girl had Nathalie watching the trio like a hawk to make sure none of them were trying to eat the crayons on Adrien’s desk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Does Alix </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>have to go?” Adrien whined, pouting up at his mother. His tie had been carefully removed by Nathalie about an hour ago, after the boy had agreed to a game of tug-of-war with little Alix. Speaking of little Alix, the nickname itself had come from Miss Chloe, who claimed it fit the smaller girl much better, that it was just as pretty as her. It had stuck, apparently.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, she </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>has to go.” Emilie playfully mocked Adrien’s tone, running a hand through her son’s now messy hair. “Alixandria has her own home to go back to, she can’t stay here forever, Adrien.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Auntie Emilie?” Chloe approached the woman, playing with the ends of her hair, which Nathalie had noticed was a nervous tick for the girl. “Did my Daddy say when I gotta go home?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Emilie’s face fell for a split second, and Nathalie’s heart broke. Oh dear, it had happened again. It became rather clear rather quickly that given the chance, Audrey would convince Andre to ditch Chloe and leave their daughter with the Agrestes for the night as frequently as she could without making her husband suspicious. It was heart wrenching to watch the young girl receive the news after seeing her happy all night each time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chloe seemed to catch on, and sat down on the floor with a huff. The little girl was tearing up, but looked like she was trying to fight it off. Adrien sat beside his best friend, and took one of her hands in his own. The young boy glanced up at his mother, his smile gone for the first time that night. “Does this mean Chloe is sleeping over?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Adrien, Chloe will be staying with us tonight.” Suddenly, Emilie perked up, turning to her old friend. “Say, Aliah, would you be willing to let Alixandria stay over as well? We have some of Chloe’s spare pyjamas that she can borrow for the night?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can I please stay, Momma?” Alix tugged on her mother’s arm, practically bouncing on the spot. Nathalie was still wondering where such a small girl stored all that energy. “I’ll be super good I promise!”</span>
</p>
<p><span>Aliah and Emilie shared a look, after which each woman smiled. Aliah leaned down to look Alixandria in the eyes, placing both of her hands on her daughter’s shoulders. “If you get lonely or miss us tonight, just let Ms Nathalie or Emilie know and they’ll call home right away for you, okay</span> <span>?</span></p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t worry Momma, I’ll be fine!” Alixandria grinned, going back to the same bouncing vibration thing she’d been doing earlier. She turned to face the other two children, flashing them a little thumbs up. The two blonds on the ground brightened significantly, and Nathalie was glad to see they seemingly forgot that Chloe had been left by her parents.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nathalie had been tasked with making sure the trio were safe during the evening, and making sure all three were asleep at the proper time. Emilie had, of course, accompanied this instruction with a wink, which meant Nathalie could let them get away with staying up, just a little. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Telling children that you were letting them stay up a little later than they were supposed to be up as long as they behaved turned out to be a great way to get three little sheltered kids to go to bed when you want them to. Adrien and Chloe had stars in their eyes when Nathalie whispered it to them like it was the world’s most precious secret, and Alix just went along with it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Something that also worked was just putting on a movie late at night. Not even thirty minutes into Pixar Cars and all three kids were out like lights in a power outage. All three were piled in Adrien’s bed, wrapped in his Sailor Moon blankets and cuddled together in one big clump. Nathalie could hardly determine where one kid started and another ended.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The kids were very lucky the next morning as well. Emilie had stopped Nathalie on her way to wake up the trio with a hand on her shoulder, passing on the message that she could let them sleep in for a whole half hour past the time she usually woke Adrien at. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was because of this delay that Nathalie was present to witness what she would then call the saddest moment she’d experienced while working for the Agrestes. Aubrey Bourgeois had come to pick up Chloe at the usual time, quite aggravated already because of traffic. She carried herself through the halls as if she owned the place, approaching Nathalie and Emilie as the pair peeked through a crack in the door to watch the sleeping trio.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Emilie, I have come to collect my daughter.” Audrey said curtly, one foot tapping loudly against the tiled floors. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course, Audrey.” Emilie’s smile looked a little forced in Nathalie’s opinion, but she didn’t want to bring the attention to herself so she said nothing about it. “The kids are still sleeping, though. Just look at how adorable they are!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They made room at the door for the other woman, who didn’t look too pleased at the idea of waiting a bit longer to collect her daughter. “Who’s that third child? I wasn’t aware there was another kid around my daughter.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, that’s Alixandria, daughter of the Kubdels. Aliah and Alim just moved back to Paris, you know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Audrey didn’t look too pleased at that little tidbit. SHe pushed her way into the room, turning on the lights and clapping her hands. “Chloe, hurry and get up, we’ve got places to be.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nathalie helped the young girl pack her things as Emilie led Adrien and Alix out to the dining room to get them breakfast. Audrey stood there silently fuming, before finally speaking as Nathalie helped Chloe fold the dress she had been wearing. “You won’t be around that Kubdel girl anymore, alright?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Poor little Chloe tilted her head, looking up at her mother sadly. “But why, Maman?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The Kubdels are not exceptional enough for our family, Chloe. If I catch you hanging around that Annix girl you will be in big trouble. Understand?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nathalie’s heart broke as the girl nodded her head sadly, and waved sadly at her as she was escorted out by her mother. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course, over the years, Audrey did not get her wish. Nathalie continued to watch over the trio as they caused immense mischief at every party they attended. The group was never quite as free as it was that first night, but things were never as low as they were that morning.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Aight here's the first little filler chapter! I wanna do them every, say, seven episode chapters? Let me know what you think of that</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. The Mime</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Alix and Kim's biggest obstacle for this fight won't be the akuma itself. Nope, this time, they're fighting against their own lack of common sense today.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you catch any mistakes let me know! This one took a little longer than usual, but it's finally here!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There was a new play in Paris, but that was the last thing on the minds of Alix Kubdel and Le Chien Kim. Neither had any plans of going to the play, and honestly they’d both forgotten about it by now. You may be wondering what they could be up to since they’re not going to the play. </p><p>“I’m so fucking bored.” Kim groaned, sitting on his couch upside down. He hadn’t done all too well on the last history test that their class had taken, so his parents had suggested inviting his smartest friends over for a study session. So he’d sent texts to Max and Alix and pestered his dad to pick up some cool snacks.</p><p>“Well if you’d studied like you were supposed to, we wouldn't have to do this on a Saturday.” Alix flicked his forehead, sending him shooting back up into a proper sitting position. “This is all on you, pal.”</p><p>Okay, so maybe it was completely his fault that the three of them were trapped indoors on such a nice day. What of it? Kim wasn’t going to roll over and act all guilty about it, that wasn’t very Kim of him! </p><p>Max rolled his eyes at the two of them, tapping at the page his history textbook was open to. “The sooner we finish this, the sooner we can go do something a little more fun.”</p><p>“But I’m bored <em> now. </em>” Kim whined. He felt like his brain had crawled down into his stomach and died.</p><p>Someone pushed Kim’s head to the side, and he swatted back at the hand as he squawked. His mom grinned down at him as she leaned over the couch, a tray of crackers and fruit balanced on her other hand. “Ignore him, kiddos. Thank you so much for agreeing to help him, Max, Alix. Here, someone grab these snacks, I’ll go grab you guys some drinks.”</p><p>Kim’s mom, in his opinion, was one of the best moms you could have. She worked in sports medicine nowadays, and had been a professional rugby player before that. When Kim had been in soccer as a kid, she was the parent that would get kicked out of games for fighting the parents of the other team while his dad apologized and brought stellar snacks as a way of bribing the coach to keep Kim on the team. </p><p>“Thank you, Mrs Tran.” Alix took the snack tray, smiling as if she hadn’t been seconds away from strangling Kim just moments ago. </p><p>His mom scoffed slightly, clicking her tongue. “There’s no need for formalities, dear. Call me Cam Ha, if you must.”</p><p>She took their drink orders and shuffled off to fetch them, but not before messing with Kim’s hair again. It was just them at home that day. Kim’s dad and sisters were at one of his sister’s tennis tournaments in London for the weekend, which is where he would have been if he hadn’t failed his history test so badly. The youngest of his older sisters had been live-texting him the results, so Alix had taken his phone and was holding it captive until he finished his work.</p><p>“You had the least trouble with the questions on Ancient Rome, so we should start there.” Max passed Kim his textbook, which he had pushed away after reading just three words. “What was it about the Romans that made it easier for you to remember?”</p><p>Oh, Kim knew that answer. “I listened in class those days because we were talking about all the cool stories about the dudes fighting.”</p><p>“You mean the mythology?” Alix stared him down, eyes narrowed. “The Greeks and Egyptians also had mythology, Kim, and you didn’t get a single mark for either of them. How did you only get Rome?”</p><p>“It was the only interesting one.” He shrugged. That wasn’t all the details, of course. He just had no interest in Greece or Egypt. Why were they learning about all three at once, anyway? It was a stupid idea, if you asked Kim.</p><p>Alix looked like she wanted to argue with him about that for a few hours, but she settled down when Max shot her a look. “We only have the weekend to get Kim ready for his retake, we don’t have time for petty arguments.”</p><p>Ha, that showed her. Alix continued to glare at him as Max got to work explaining the elements he’d missed on the Rome portion of the test, tossing Kim a celery stick or cracker every now and then. He was starting to feel pretty good about himself after a few minutes. Maybe it was just because he was being fed for every right answer, but so what? Let him have this.</p><p>“Alright, looks like you’re good for the Rome portion.” Max passed him another celery stick. Kim chomped on it happily as his small friend closed his textbook and got up off of the couch. “Alix will be taking over to teach you all you need to know about Ancient Egypt.”</p><p>Hold on, Kim thought. He shot up from his relaxed position, nearly knocking over the cup of water he had sitting on the table in front of him. “Why is Alix teaching me this bit? I only brought her over for emotional support!”</p><p>“Thanks a whole lot, Kimbo.” Alix flicked his ear as she took Max’s old seat beside Kim, her own textbook in her hands. “And here I thought you kept me around to keep yourself humble.”</p><p>Max sighed at the both of them, rubbing at his face like he hadn’t slept a wink in his whole life. “Kim, Alix is from Egypt. She was born in Egypt, and her parents were both from Egypt. Not to mention her father is the curator for the Louvre and approved a new exhibit on Ancient Egypt last week. She’s far more qualified to teach you about Egypt than I am.”</p><p>If Kim could wipe off the smug look that was on Alix’s face at that moment, he’d do it without a second thought. How was he supposed to remember where each of his classmates was from, or who their parents were? This past week had already proved just how awful Kim was at learning things like this.</p><p>If Max’s method of teaching Kim the material had been the metaphorical carrot, Alix’s was the stick. Each wrong answer was followed by either an ear flick, or a verbal reminder that Alix was using her valuable time to keep him from failing. Max kept up the snack passing though, so Kim wasn’t too bothered.</p><p>“Who’s that furry?” Kim interrupted Alix’s spiel about Cleopatra and how she wasn’t even Egyptian but instead Macedonian, pointing at a picture in the textbook. “The one with the dog head.”</p><p>Alix looked like she was a second away from beating the crap out of him. “That’s Anubis, the god of the afterlife. He has the head of a jackal, not a dog, and he was the patron of lost souls.”</p><p>“He’s buff as hell.” Kim had to appreciate the muscles on the dude, cause hot damn was that furry god ripped. They always talked about having the body of a Greek god, but Kim wanted to look like Anubis. Without the Jackal head, of course.</p><p>Alix gave him a weird look, and ignored his <em> very accurate </em> observation. “Let’s move on to Nefertiti.”</p><p> </p><p>All in all it took them nearly four hours to get the information into Kim’s thick skull. Alix was quite proud that she hadn’t caused him too much bodily harm in the process, but she had been just seconds away from losing her freaking marbles. She had never been so grateful that her seat partner was Mylene.</p><p>Kim’s mom had been a delight, unlike her son. She’d even treated Max and Alix to popsicles for all their hard work. And hard work it was. If Alix could send her past self one message, it would be to tell her to stay the fuck away from Kim’s little study party. </p><p>Alix was enjoying the skate back to her place, popsicle long gone. Plagg had burrowed into the pockets of her hoodie the second she was out of view of Kim’s place, having spent the day sleeping and eating cheese in her backpack. What a life he was living, she mused. Almost like a real house cat.</p><p>Her phone chimed in her pocket, blaring that custom ringtone of Crimson Beetle screaming she’d gotten Max to grab for her. What could she say, it brought a little smile to her face. She’d set it as the ringtone for the Beetle Blog, which as of late was becoming a stellar way to know when she needed to transform and kick ass.</p><p>There wasn’t a live video to click on, but there were a few forum posts about a supposed akuma appearing outside the Louvre. Great, that was on her way home. If it turned out to be a dud like some of the other recent posts had been, Alix would just get home faster. If it really was an akuma, well, she’d try to get it over with as quickly as possible.</p><p>“Alright you lazy cat, it’s time to get to work.” Alix pulled Plagg out of her pocket, holding the squirming kwami by his little tail. He was still waking up, the lucky thing, big green eyes blinking tiredly. “I swear you are the laziest thing I have ever met.”</p><p>Plagg glared at her as he stretched, phasing his tail out of her grasp. “You just don’t recognize my talents for what they are. We’ll see who’s laughing when I become a competitive sleep champion, Kitten.”</p><p>Yeah, as if. “Plagg, Claws out!”</p><p>With the magic flowing through her once more, Alix vaulted up to the rooftops, and started making her way to where the akuma was reported. The Beetle Blog wasn’t all that reliable unless Alya was streaming, and the forums were really untrustworthy lately. Everyone was too triggerhappy, reporting the slightest abnormality in the hopes of getting to claim they saw teh akuma first.</p><p>Alix was getting sick of running across the city for a kid with face paint or someone dressed in a costume for whatever reason. Hawk Moth had turned Paris into the worst game of Mafia that Alix had ever played, everyone accusing each other for no reason at all.</p><p>She did enjoy running across the Paris skyline, though. The lone positive to all the false calls was that she had more chances to just let loose and fling herself high above the streets, not a care in her mind as she made her way home. </p><p>Chartreux Noire landed on one of the roofs overlooking the plaza outside the Louvre, and started scanning the area for any signs of an actual akuma. Something had definitely happened here, she decided, looking at the torn up posters. There was no sign of the akuma itself, but the signs of an attack were obvious.</p><p>Crimson Beetle landed beside her on the roof, an excited grin on his face. “Please tell me this wasn’t another false alarm. I need to let off some steam!”</p><p>“Looks like it’s the real thing this time.” From the torn posters to the cars parked in slanted lines in the middle of the street, Alix was willing to bet that there was a real akuma on the run. “I don’t see it, though. We should ask some of the civilians below about where it went.”</p><p>Crimson Beetle did a little victory dance, and the two jumped down to street level to figure out which way the akuma went. Most were very unhelpful, saying they simply did not pay the akuma any mind since it only attacked the posters and flyers for some play about a dumb mime. </p><p>Alix was about to start screaming when she approached a sleek, black car. She knocked on the passenger side window, and a black head poked out of the door to the rear seats. “Chartreux! It’s me, Adrien! You came to my birthday party, remember?”</p><p>It just had to be one of her classmates, didn’t it? Hopefully he’d actually happen to have some information for her. “Of course I remember, that was quite the party you had. You wouldn’t happen to have seen where the akuma that was in this plaza went, did you?”</p><p>“I know this!” The boy beamed. If he had a tail, it would be wagging at the speed of sound. “Okay so it looked like a mime and tore down all the posters for the play I’m going to go see with my friends later, and then he ran off in the direction of the Eiffel Tower. I was going to tell my driver to follow him, but I saw you and Crimson Beetle and waited for a chance to talk to you again!”</p><p>Word vomit, much? Alix had never heard Adrien speak so much in her whole life, yet here he was, words spewing from him like a busted dam. At least she got the information out of him. “Thank you, Adrien. Please stay put or go somewhere safer until the situation has been solved.”</p><p>Alix had no doubt in her mind that Adrien was going to disobey her, so she resolved to finish this quickly. She waved over the big beetle hero, and caught him up to speed. Then the two took off towards the Eiffel Tower to put an end to this mysterious mime akuma.</p><p>They arrived toan odd sight. A big tour bus with an ad for the mime play on the side was stopped in the middle of the street in front of the Tower, the windshield smashed through. A man dressed like a mime was hanging in midair, cowering away from another man dressed as a mime. Poking out from behind the bus was Alya, phone raised to record the events, as Nino and Marinette tried to pull her away.</p><p>Alix almost wanted to just walk away and pretend she hadn’t seen anything, but she knew she had a duty to stay and deal with whatever was going on down by the tower. She turned to her partner, who looked just as baffled as she felt. “Any ideas on how to handle this one, chief?”</p><p>“Uh, beat the shit out of both mimes until one speaks?” Crimson Beetle winced as he suggested it, eyes flickering between the two mimes. “The one that doesn’t speak is probably the akuma, right?”</p><p>Alix felt her mind go blank at his words. “Dude, I’m pretty sure the mime attacking the other mime is the akuma, not the other way around.”</p><p>He didn’t talk for a few seconds, just blinked at the two mimes. “Are you sure?”</p><p>“Yeah, I’m sure.” Damn, this dude had less common sense than Kim. “I think this dude just like, really hates this mime play or something.”</p><p>“I can see that.” The taller hero nodded, rubbing at his chin. “Maybe he’s angry that like, the play is appropriating mimes? Or that the play is making fun of mimes?”</p><p>Okay, Alix had to admit that that sounded like a pretty sound guess to her. “Makes sense. So, we go down there and just mock him? See what happens?”</p><p>“Sounds good to me!” Crimson Beetle grinned, and swung his yo-yo at a street light, swinging down into the fray. </p><p>“Show time.” Alix muttered to herself, before leaping off the building after him. While he slammed right into the akuma mime, Chartreux broke her fall with a roll, bouncing out of it with a little jump in front of the three classmates behind the bus. “You guys should really be somewhere a little safer, don’t you think?”</p><p>Nino looked like he was about to beg the akuma to spare him from what he was dealing with. “Dudette, I’ve been saying the same thing this whole time.”</p><p>“Alya’s just a little stubborn about getting the best material for her blog.” Marinette bit out, barely holding Alya back from running right at where Crimson Beetle was throwing mediocre insults at the akuma. </p><p>That gave Alix an idea, one that would hopefully not get her partner mad at her again. “Would you go hide if I promised a private interview with me and Beetle Boy later tonight?"</p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, Kim was having the time of his life. The akuma mime had completely forgotten about the other mime, focusing entirely on Kim. He was firing some kind of invisible bow, but most of the shots never came close to Kim as he dashed around the area like a little kid. He was finally able to release all that energy from those long hours on the couch studying, and it was <em> awesome </em>.</p><p>“Y’know, they teach you to use your words for a reason!” He taunted, flipping back out of the way of another arrow. “And that reason is that your actions just aren’t good enough!”</p><p>The mime did not respond, but his expression grew angrier. He dropped his fake bow, and mimed cocking a small firearm. Oh yeah, Kim was driving this guy up the wall.</p><p>Crimson Beetle dodged the mime bullets with a cackle, pulling off some of the parkour flips and spins that one of his lacrosse teammates had been teaching him after practices as they waited for the other boy’s ride to arrive. He was starting to really feel like the super heroes he’d grown up reading about in comic books.</p><p>“Missed me again! If I didn’t know any better, your performance would have me convinced that mimes were blind rather than mute!” Kim cackled, feeling a rush of adrenaline as a bullet skimmed one of his cape wings. He couldn’t afford to get sloppy, not now. After all, he was the one with the magic cure</p><p>Chartreux finally joined him, which meant all the civilians in the area had been moved back to a safe distance. The mime turned to shoot at her, but the little cat hero broke into a side aerial, dodging every shot taken at her. “This party clown giving you trouble, Beetle Boy?”</p><p>“Pft, as if!” The akuma looked like he swallowed a mouthful of lava, and Kim couldn’t fight of the low laugh at the sight of this grown man being so affected by their stupid comments. “I’m getting a little bored, actually. Wanna wrap this up, Noire?”</p><p>“You know it!” She took the offensive as Kim fell back, preparing to call on his Lucky Charm.</p><p>For once, he knew exactly what to do with what he was given. Kim lifted the megaphone to his mouth, excitement bubbling up from his stomach as he made his way back to the tour bus. “Hey, Mr Silent! I’m thinking of writing a movie about a mime, but I’m thinking he just talks the whole time!”</p><p>The akuma didn’t look as angry as he thought it would, but Kim sure had its attention. He mimed putting his gun away, and brought out what Kim could only imagine was some kind of rocket launcher. Great, the one time he doesn’t get a weapon as his lucky charm. </p><p>“I think I’m going to cast Adam Sandler, maybe? He’d make a great mime.” Kim was getting a little nervous, with that invisible rocket launcher pointed at him. He looked around the tower for his partner, eyes finding her sneaking up on the mime from behind. “Or, uh, Matt Mercer? Give it a bit of a cowboy spin, you know? Mimes of the Western United States?”</p><p>Kim was running out of material, but lucky him, that was when Chartreux struck. She plucked the hat off of the akumas head, and threw it to him like a bowler frisbee. A quick leap off of the bus, and the hat was in his hands. His finger rubbed against something slick inside, and with only a little difficulty, Kim had a picture of his classmate Mylene in his hands. Why the hell did this random mime have a photo of his classmate?</p><p>He didn’t want to really think about it, so he simply tore it and collected the akuma that flew out of it. Then, to finish the job, he threw his megaphone into the air. “Miraculous Ladybug!”</p><p> </p><p>Alya paced the length of the theatre stage anxiously, her gaudy sneakers nearly wearing ruts in the floor with how hard she was forcing them into the wood of the stage floor. Marinette was messing with the tripod Alya’s camera sat on, even though it had been perfect for ten minutes now. </p><p>“Are you sure they’re going to show up?” Marinette looked over at Alya, concern clear on her features. Alya originally had planned to come alone, but Marinette had bravely insisted on being there with her incase this was some elaborate human trafficking scheme. Marinette’s words.</p><p>Alya didn’t want to admit it, but she was starting to doubt the two heroes a little herself. Chartreux had told her the time and place before bouncing off to detransform, but she could have been playing a cruel prank on the blogger. “You worry too much, girl. I’m sure they’re running late for a reason!”</p><p>Marinette didn’t look convinced, and went back to nervously straightening out the three chairs placed perfectly in front of the camera for Alya and the two heroes. “I’ll give them five more minutes before I’m bringing you home.”</p><p>Alya wanted to argue, but a quick check for the time on her phone had her agreeing. It was nearing ten pm, and they had classes tomorrow. Alya wasn’t too worried about waking herself up, but she refused to be the reason Marinette made another late appearance to class. </p><p>Two figures made their way into the theatre from the doors that lead to the street, and both girls tensed until they passed under the lights. Chartreux Noire and Crimson Beetle sauntered up the steps to the stage, and Alya fought off a squeal. She had never doubted the two heroes ever, that’s fake news. </p><p>The little cat hero’s tail was swishing behind her lazily, and her expression looked more relaxed than Alya had seen from her yet. Her hood was laying casually on her shoulders, wild brown and green hair let free. “I’m so sorry for making you wait, Ms Cesair. This big lug got lost, and I had to go rescue him from the Louvre.”</p><p>“This city has a confusing layout, okay?” Crimson Beetle nudged the other hero with his shoulder, but he had a teasing grin on his face. He didn’t look much different than usual. He still loomed over the other hero, his capes still fluttered behind him like little wings, and every part of his suit was in its proper place. The only thing Alya noticed was he didn’t look as irritated as he was in the past, especially towards his partner.</p><p>“Oh, it’s no worry at all!” Alya waved her arms, trying to dispel the nerves that were suddenly crawling through her system. Now was the worst time to clam up! “Here, why don’t you both take a seat? My friend and chief moderator of the Beetle Blog Marinette will adjust the camera once we’re seated so we get the best lighting possible.”</p><p>Both heroes waved at Mari as they passed, and the poor girl looked like she could barely comprehend what was going on. Serves her right for doubting the protectors of Paris, Alya thought to herself. She gave the other girl a squeeze to her shoulder as she passed to get to her own seat, exchanging an excited smile on the way.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well there you have it folks! I was originally going to skip this chapter because I didn't have a good idea for it, but I decided I could use this episode that didn't have much Kim or Alix to introduce another member of Kim's family and start on that good dynamic for Beetle and Noire now that they're finally getting along. Next up is Rogercop!</p><p>Check me out on Tumblr if you want more Jocks content</p><p>@symphonic-scream</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Rogercop</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Local jocks say ACAB but especially Roger</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hehehe get ready folks this ones big</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Kim was super excited for school today. Which is actually a pretty big deal, you know. Usually Kim trudges through the school day, watching the clock tick his youth away. But not today! There’s something special about today, something that has had Kim nearly vibrating all week waiting for this day to come.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It’s parents day!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim was super hyped this year. He’d begged his dad to find a way to take the day off, and as things turned out, he was free to come that morning! Kim’s dad was a professor of Classical music studies at a local conservatory, and had played in many big ensembles in France during his career. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yeah, sure, Kim’s first thought had been to ask his mom to join him. Her job was super cool, and she’d even been to the olympics for rugby with France’s team before she’d married his dad. Taking her to school was what his whole family expected, what they bet on. No, seriously, his sisters had made actual monetary bets about him bringing their mom. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mychau, who had to cast her opinion via phone call, had bet on him not bringing anyone because he forgot, which was a fair bet. He did leave it to the last possible moment. His second oldest sister Minh Hang, who was staying back home for the week after her success at her tennis tournament, had started the betting by saying Kim would take their mom. The youngest of his older sisters, Anh Duong, had just said he’d take their dad to make the man feel better. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And, well, Minh Hang would have won if she hadn’t spent her week back home antagonizing Kim. Waking him up at dawn to join her on runs, only to trip him so he’d land in the fountain at the park to “wake him up”. Replacing the salt with sugar during breakfast. Messing up his hair while it was still forming in the morning. He’d gone to school too many days with hair in his face, so he’d had enough.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Anh Duong would win if it was the last thing he did.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of his sisters, Mychau was still his favourite. The other two could never come close to replicating their special lunches, or all the afternoons they’d spent skating around together before she’d moved for school. But Anh Duong was a close second. She was only older by about a year, and often took Kim’s side during family team events. As the youngest, they had a sort of solidarity against the older duo, and nothing could replace that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So, Kim asked their dad to join him for parents day the night before, right at the dinner table. The whole family had gone dead silent, and Kim had sent Minh Hang a smug smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So yeah, he took his dad. They arrived extra early, and while his dad introduced himself to Ms Bustier, Kim found some of his friends just around the corner from their classroom.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix and Juleka were sulking about as much as either of them could, leaning against the railed where they’d hung out before class on Valentine’s day. It was unusual to see Juleka without her little blonde girlfriend. No, seriously, Kim was pretty sure this was one of the first times he’d ever seen just one of them without the other. It was pretty off putting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix noticed him first, her blue eyes looking up at him with a nearly dead look to them. “Hey Kimbo. Did you bring a parent?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, my dad’s here to talk about music and shit.” He explained, and both girls deflated even further. “Did you guys bring anyone?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My dad couldn’t take the day off.” Alix growled, pressing her forehead against the railing. “He didn’t want me to come alone so he made me take my older brother.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juleka scoffed, her one visible eye glaring at Alix. She looked like she hadn’t slept in weeks, even though she had been completely fine the day before. “At least your brother is here. My brother has school today.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you ask your parents to come?” Kim asked. He didn’t know much about Juleka, but he guessed she’d be the kind to be too nervous to ask.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Parent, singular. It’s just Ma, Luka and I. She works a lot for us, and I didn’t wanna give her more stress by asking her to take a day off.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Damn. Kim didn’t want to seem insensitive so he didn’t say it, but he couldn’t help but think about just how many of his classmates had single parents. Well, he didn’t know much about most of them, but that was two he knew of for sure now. “Sorry I asked.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juleka shrugged, then returned to her sulking. Alix hadn’t moved an inch, so Kim decided to focus back on her. “What does your older brother do, Alix?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jalil’s into ancient Egypt.” She groaned, starting to kick at the ground. “He translates things a lot for the museum, but sometimes he gets crazy intense about it. Won’t shut up about this one piece that’s due to hit the floor soon.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Okay, that presentation was going to be boring as all hell for Kim. He’d ended up passing his history retest thanks to Alix and Max, but every second of Alix’s teaching had been torture for his mind. If he had to listen to her older brother ramble about it, then he’d end up sleeping.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose skipped into the school maybe a minute later, and Juleka slipped away to meet her and a woman Kim assumed was her mom by the stairs. Kim left Alix to bang her head on the railing alone, and made his way to his seat.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alix was bored out of her damn mind. Some of the parents had really cool presentations like Carmen Lavillant, who worked as an editor for a magazine about gardening, or even Kim’s dad Anh Son, who played them a recording of a piece he’d played earlier that month. But while there were some good presentations, there were some god awful ones. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well, one god awful one. Jalil had ended up rambling about his latest project just like Alix thought he would, and she’d nearly cried in relief when Ms Bustier cut him off. He hadn’t even looked too bothered by it, and had the audacity to wink at Alix as they returned to the seating area of the class. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix loved her brother, really, she did! He was just too much sometimes. He’d started throwing himself into things so heavily back when their mom had gotten sick, and it had stuck. He rarely took time for himself these days, and had only taken a day off because Dad had told him Alix couldn’t go alone that day. She missed the days when he’d go out to the park with her and play around as young dumb kids.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Some of the other parents went, but Alix tuned them out. She doubted she’d ever want to be a lawyer like Nathaniel’s mom or a chef like Alya’s, so she spent the duration of their presentations poking Plagg from within her pocket. The little god started to bite at her fingertips the longer she did it, so she finally pulled her hand away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Plagg popped his head out of the pocket just enough to glare at her for disturbing his super nap, and Alix just pushed him back in with her finger. The little shit had almost gotten caught sneaking into the fancy cheese drawer in the fridge that morning by Jalil, so she believed he deserved at least a little poking. Just a little.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix accepted the treat from the Dupain-Cheng presentation, and winced as Marinette tripped over the bag Chloe had left in the walkway. Alix winced as the remaining treats went flying, and the poor girl spilled onto the floor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you okay, Marinette?” Adrien, the little gentleman he’d always been, was leaning over Nino to make sure their classmate was okay. He used to do the same thing every time Alix would tumble around at a party when they were kids, and it was one of the things she’d missed most in the months he spent away from those parties. “Are you hurt?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marinette laughed awkwardly as her dad helped her to her feet, her face slowly growing pinker. “It’s okay, I’m fine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She has experience in falling.” Tom joked softly, patting his daughter’s shoulder softly. “If anyone can fall without getting hurt, it’s my Marinette.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With the excitement over, Alix settled back into her boredom. What the hell was she supposed to do during the rest of the presentations? The moment Roger Raincomprix stepped up to tell them about why being a cop was “pretty cool”, in his words, Alix remembered the thing that brought her the most joy in the world.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Messing with Le Chien Kim.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She poked at Plagg again, and leaned her head on the edge of her desk so she could whisper at him without looking too suspicious. “Hey, I need your help to cause some chaos.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No can do, Kitten.” Plagg smirked at her, snuggling into the little lint bed he’d made for himself. “I’m putting you on probation. You ruined my nap, so I’m not helping you all day.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh yeah? What if there’s an akuma today? What’re you gonna do then, huh?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Plagg rolled over slowly, green eyes wide open, pupils near slits. “I guess you’ll have to perish then.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Why did she think letting him watch memes with her was a good idea? “Okay, well, guess you don’t want me to stop by the deli to pick up some more camembert as a treat later.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“God of destruction, at your service.” He zipped to the edge of her pocket quickly, saluting her like a little soldier. “What are your orders, Captain Kitten?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So, she spilled out her evil plan. Plagg would zip through the slight gap at the bottom of Kim and Max’s desk and tie the taller boy’s shoe laces together so he’d trip when he stood up. Okay, so it wasn’t really all that evil but so what? Alix was bored and this was the best she could come up with!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The kwami flew through the gap, and Alix waited for him to fly back into her pocket. In the meantime, she played up the napping act. Her desk was in the direct sunlight that beamed through the large classroom windows, which blanketed her in a comfy warmth that drained her energy in the best way. Soon she wasn’t faking sleep, but struggling to keep herself from konking out completely.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A loud bang from the desk in front of her startled her out of her sleepy daze. Chloe was frantically digging through her bag, getting on like she was looking for an antidote to some deadly poison. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Chloe, is something the matter?” Ms Bustier asked gently, one hand held up to Officer Raincomprix as a sign for the man to pause his presentation. He didn’t seem too pleased, but he did stop.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t find one of my earrings!” Chloe’s voice rushed out of her, the panic she was feeling coming across clearly. She dropped her bag back onto the ground, and dropped to the floor to search there too. “I was wearing it just a few minutes ago, and now it’s gone!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sabrina gasped and dropped to help her best friend search, using her phone camera to light up the ground under their desk. Andre Bourgeois blinked as he watched his daughter crawl across the floor, something that Alix had only seen the heiress do after one too many cups of sugary juice at a party. That had been years ago. “Chloe, darling, it’s alright. Daddy can just buy you a new one! Now get off the floor, please.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can’t just replace this one!” Chloe shouted back, starting to expand her search beyond her desk. Adrien had dropped down to help as well by then, poking around Officer Raincomprix’s feet. “It was a gift, an irreplaceable gift. It’s not just another earring, Daddy, and I can’t lose it, I just can’t!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Andre didn’t respond to his daughter’s outburst, and just continued to stand there like a lost, confused toddler man. Ms Bustier took over for him, kneeling down to meet Chloe’s frantic eyes as she laid a hand on her shoulder. “Can you tell us what it looked like, dear? If we get the whole class to look, it’ll get found faster?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That seemed to calm Chloe from hysterical to very worried. She reached up to one of her ears, and handed over the missing earring’s twin to their teacher hesitantly. “It’s made of brown sandstone, shaped like a crescent moon.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nathaniel, can you come draw a bigger version on the chalkboard? That way we don’t risk losing the original by passing it around.” Nathaniel nodded shyly at their teacher, and rushed to the front after a soft push from his mom. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before he could make it to the front of the room, however, Officer Raincomprix blew his little whistle. “Now now, everyone take a seat. As an officer of the law, I’ll be taking it from here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s really no need for that, sir. We’ll find it quickly and get back to the presentations.” Ms Bustier tried to wave Nathaniel forward, but the officer blocked the artist’s way.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You won’t be able to find it like that. In most cases of missing jewelry, it turns out to be theft.” The class gasped, and Alix just felt confused. Why on earth would someone take one of Chloe’s earrings? Especially after Lady Wifi, no less. Sure she was getting better, but the girl was known to overreact a little to things like that. “I’ll have to conduct a few interviews and take the remaining earring as evidence.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No!” Chloe quickly snatched the earring back from Ms Bustier, clutching it to her chest. “I can’t let you have it!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Roger looked shocked for just a few seconds, before he set his firm gaze again. “Do you not want the thief to be caught?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think anyone in this class would steal it, Mr Raincomprix sir.” Adrien piped up, standing tall beside Chloe. He spoke firmly, and with a calm tone that sounded so foreign coming from the boy Alix had known since they were children. “Plus, it’s a sentimental piece. Sandstone isn’t very expensive, it would be like stealing someone’s pen.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Either way, I’m taking charge on this.” Roger held out his hand for Chloe’s earring again, but the heiress didn’t budge. “Please hand it over, Miss Bourgeois.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Andre stepped into the fray, and Alix was surprised that she could still hear him despite the low tone he was speaking in. “Now Roger, there’s no need to make a big deal out of this! Please just let the children do their little search, there’s no harm in it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, sir, but as an officer of the law I must do my job.” Hold on, wasn’t he off duty? And what kind of bullshit was that? Alix didn’t know too much about police and the law, but this whole situation was smelling like some fresh horseshit. “If you do not hand over the other earring I’ll have to do things the hard way.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chloe tightened her grip on the earring, and Roger narrowed his eyes at her. Oddly enough, it was Andre that broke the whole thing up. “You will not lay a hand on my daughter. I gave you a chance to stand down, and since you refuse, I have no choice.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Daddy…?” Chloe looked nervously between her father and Sabrina, who had shrunk back by Mylene’s seat when Roger first started his shit. Alix catalogued that behaviour away for later. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Roger Raincomprix, you’re fired.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Kim had managed to dodge his dad by getting lost in the crowd of students running out of their classes according to the new akuma drills, slipping away into the bathroom while everyone made their way to the library to hide.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After the mayor had fired Sabrina’s cop dad, things had gone bad. He’d left the school in a huff, only to return all Robocop style minutes later to arrest Chloe for failing to cooperate or something. It had been nuts, and in the chaos Kim had to untie his damn shoes because they got all tangled up, somehow. He was still lost on that one.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once safe in the bathroom, he’d transformed as quickly as he could and made his way to the roof of Dupont. He had no clue where the akuma was headed, so he made it his goal to find his little partner. She was usually better at tracking their motives than he was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chartreux hopped up onto the roof a few moments later, dangling a little earring from her clawed hands. “I spoke to some of the witnesses, and managed to find this. Apparently this whole mess was started over a little earring.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim knew all that, but he tried to play it off like he hadn’t been sitting in the room while it all went down. “Wow, uh, that sure is something.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She gave him a weird look, then seemingly chose to ignore it. “It involved the mayor, so chances are Rogercop is headed to the mayor’s office, which is where the bug dumbass is probably hiding.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s an obvious place to hide.” Hell, even Kim could recognize that hiding there would be the worst idea ever. How was this man the mayor of Paris when he was apparently dumber than him? “So, we head over there and beat his ass?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hell yeah.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They started to make their way to where they knew Mr Bourgeois would be, swinging and vaulting over the roofs of Paris. Below them on the streets, Parisians who had been arrested by the akuma wandering the streets, doing, well, Kim had no idea. He hadn’t been paying much attention when the akuma had shown up, he’d been too busy untying his tangled shoe laces.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They made it across the city in what would be record time for anyone else, and landed across the street. Both heroes stood there silently for a moment, watching Rogercop talking to the entire Paris Police force with the Mayor beside him in handcuffs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Behind both of them was Chloe Bourgeois, who Kim had never seen in such a state. She looked like she’d been through a wind tunnel, and lost a fight to a cloud. Her hair and clothes were still messed up from all that crawling she’d done, and even from a distance it was clear she was minutes away from crying.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here’s the plan.” When the little cat hero spoke, it was with a tight voice. Kim glanced at her, and it was blatantly clear that she was holding back some anger. “They head up to the office, we bust in through the window, and beat him up until we get that akuma. Any objections?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim couldn’t think of any. He’d always wondered what it would be like to fight Robocop, and now he’d finally have his chance. “Let’s beat the shit outta that cop!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The duo waited until they could see Rogercop through the window of the mayor’s office, then jumped across the street and tumbled through the class window. Noir landed in a roll and sprung out into a leap directed at the akuma, and Kim barely managed to stick his landing. He was slowly getting better at this whole jumping through windows thing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The akuma threw the little cat hero off of him, and sent her flying into one of the walls. Chartreux left a hero shaped dent behind, and Kim turned on the akuma. It was Crimson Beetle’s time to shine.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He threw his first punch as a test, and yep, the akuma blocked it easily. He threw a few more test punches, bouncing around the akuma to give Chartreux some time to get the Bourgeois duo out into the hall before the akuma could command them to do something. As soon as he heard the door shut, the real fight started.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He swept a leg behind one of Rogercop’s, and while the akuma fought to stay on his feet, Crimson Beetle swung his yo-yo out and managed to get it wrapped around the akuma’s wrist. Rogercop started firing wildly, and Kim enjoyed how fun it was to send his shots all over the office with a few tugs of the yo-yo.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He jumped backwards to avoid a kick to the chest, landing beside the cat hero. “How you feeling, Noire? You looked like you took quite a tumble there.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m purr-fectly ready to take this dude down.” She growled, staff spinning expertly in one clawed hand. She had to be practicing that somehow, Kim thought. She probably made a prop staff at home that she used to get better at those little trick spins she did. “What about you, Beetle Boy? Feeling tired yet?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not even close.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rogercop jumped up on the desk in front of them, glaring down at them through his visor. “Crimson Beetle and Chartreux Noire. Surrender your miraculouses to me and I’ll reduce your sentence to community service.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, no thanks. I happen to be rather attached to my ring.” Chartreux grinned, cracking her knuckles as she eyed their enemy. “Plus, I don’t take orders from fired cops.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That just pissed him off even more. While the akuma focused his fire on the cat hero, Kim used his power. “Lucky charm!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And, yep, that was a bag full of ladybug marbles. No thinking needed, Kim grinned as he called out to Chartreux. “Hey, can you like, snap the table?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you just make a fucking MCU reference? Are you kidding me?” Noire, growled as she backflipped away from a blast, belt tail flicking as her hood fell from her head again. “And of all things it’s a Thanos snap joke? I’ve gotta get you to watch something of value, bro.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah yeah, my taste in movies sucks, can you do it?” Kim hadn’t expected to get attacked over his choice in movies, but he should’ve. Alix complained about his references all the time as well. Maybe he did need to pick some better choices.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The cat didn’t answer, but she shot towards the table, claws striking it as she activated her power. “Cataclysm!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim threw the bag of marbles just as the table started to topple inwards, sending them rolling under the akuma’s feet. Rogercop fell through the table, and slipped on the marbles. He landed on his back, and it seemed even evil magic powers were no match for getting winded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim ripped the whistle from around his neck, and threw it on the floor. He stomped on it a few times for good measure, and caught the akuma and purified it. With the marbles all over the floor, he sure hoped he could get away with just throwing the bag. “Miraculous Ladybug!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Roger came to reality a few seconds after the ladybugs passed through, sitting up gingerly. “Where am I? What happened?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You got akumatized after you were fired, sir.” Chartreux explained, crouching until she was eye level with the sitting man. It was nearly comical how little she had to shrink. She pulled the missing earring out of her pocket, dangling the brown, moon shaped accessory in front of the former officer. “I found this tucked under the teacher’s desk, just out of sight. They would’ve found it in a heartbeat.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mr Raincomprix snatched the earring out of the cat hero’s hands, holding up the matching one he’d snatched from Chloe as his akuma persona. He squinted at the two of them, before frowning at the two heroes. He turned to Crimson Beetle as he spoke, even though he could’ve just continued to face Chartreux. “Well, thank you, heroes, for assisting me today.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Somehow Kim doubted that was a proper compliment. “Uh, sure. You’re welcome.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The doors to the office opened, and Mayor Bourgeois rushed in, his daughter tucked under his arm. “Roger! It seems you’ve returned to yourself. Thank you heroes, you did us a great service today.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chloe looked up, face going slightly pink as she made eye contact with a ruffled Chartreux. Kim wasn’t too sure back during the Lady Wifi incident, but now he was less unsure. Chloe totally had the hots for his bro. The heiress finally looked up at Roger, and her face lit up. “My earrings! You found the missing one!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, yes I did.” Roger said proudly, ignoring the stumped look Chartreux got at his lie. Kim was about to defend his bro’s honour, but she just waved him off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chloe took the earrings back carefully, checking them for any damage. Andre walked over to Roger, and Kim tuned them out. No doubt that conversation would be full of ass kissing and a reinstatement.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you alright now, Purrincess?” Chartruex asked, standing before the heiress now. One of the little ears on her head twitched, and her tail curled a little at the end. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chloe’s face started to grow red again under the little hero’s gaze, and she nodded hastily. “Y-yeah, I’m good now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, what’s the deal with those earrings?” Kim butted in, his smile turning awkward as the two girls just stared at him. “Uh, they don’t look all that expensive, I mean. Look pretty easy to replace.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They were a gift.” Chloe explained, putting them back on. “A birthday gift from someone who’s not around anymore. She had them made specially with a stone she got herself.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chartreux flinched, going still as a stone. She probably lost someone too, Kim thought. Seemed awful common in Paris these days. The spell of the moment was broken by their miraculouses beeping. “Well, I’m glad you got them back safe and sound. We gotta bounce.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They left out the window they came in through, landing on that same roof across the street. Noire, stretching and letting out a soft grunt, elbowed Kim slightly. “You able to meet up later? Like, on the theatre we met at last week? I wanna give you some better shit to watch.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You wanna hang out with me?” Kim was touched! Maybe he’d finally won her over to the greatest of Crimson Beetle! “Yeah, I’ll be there! Does ten-ish work for you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The little cat hero broke out her baton, preparing to jump away for now. She sent him one last cat grin before leaving him with some parting words. “See you then, Beetle Boy.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alix arrived first, and stretched out on the warm metal of the air unit that was left on inside the theatre overnight. It had been a long day, and she was ready to tell her bro about some actual good media in the hopes that she wouldn’t be dealing with awful references in the heat of battle anymore.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry I’m late!” Crimson Beetle grinned as he dropped to the ground in front of her warm spot, shivering ever so slightly. “Damn, it’s a little chilly tonight.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What was he on? It was like, eighteen degrees celsius. That was still plenty warm. “Whatever. You ready to get educated, Beetle Boy?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He listened attentively as she told him about a few shows she thought he’d liked, but only one seemed to pique his interest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, it’s a whole bunch of buff dudes doing cool shit?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Pretty much.” Oh yeah, she was recommending Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure to Crimson Beetle. It seemed like something he’d like. “Give it a shot, and next time I see you, you can give me an update on what you think.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded, leaning back on his hands. “Say, before we wrap this thing up, I wanted to mention something I noticed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Go for it, bro.” Alix stretched contently, her body humming in contentment as she sprawled onto the warm metal further.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Chloe Bourgeois is totally into you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix sat up in an instant, her head turning to face her partner so fast she got whiplash. “What are you on and where can I get some?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Completely sober, my dude.” How was he being so casual about this? Wait, did he know she liked girls? Was she that obvious? Had he read her like an open book? “Hey, you good there, bro?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She blinked hard, trying to come back to her senses. “Why do you think Chloe Bourgeois likes me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, have you seen the way she acts around you?” Not really, no. Alix had noticed Chloe got a little starstruck, but Chartreux Noire was a superhero, that was reason enough in her opinion. “She’s totally crushing on you. How does that make you feel?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>How did that make her feel? Assuming the big dumbass was right, what did Chloe having a crush on her hero persona really do? It was flattering, that was something she knew. No, no! Chloe was straight, there was no way she was into Chartreux Noire. But that didn’t erase the little warm thing that had fluttered in Alix’s chest at the thought.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can I, tell you something?” She didn’t look up from her sneakers, staring intently at the kitty toes design. She didn’t want to watch him while she said it. “Something, private?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re my bro, bro. You can tell me anything.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. She wouldn’t allow herself to break over something as trivial as coming out to her hero partner. “I- I like girls.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sweet, I do too.” Crimson Beetle responded casually, as if she hadn’t just spoken her deepest secret. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Surely he’d just misunderstood. He was a little dense, afterall. “No, like, I like girls in the way that I shouldn’t.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why shouldn’t you like girls? Are your parents like, anti-feminists or something? Cause that’s not cool.” Alix wanted to strangle the other hero. How was he this stupid? Like, even Kim would’ve gotten it by now!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m gay!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was silent for a moment, and Alix held her breath. That had been the first time she’d said it out loud. She was gay, a lesbian, a big ol homosexual, and she’d finally told someone. It, felt kinda good. She thought it would feel like holding acid in her mouth, but it was more like a chain had been removed from around her heart.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She raised her head to look at her partner, only to find him smiling calmly. “Sick, bro. I’m bi.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh. “Oh.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Surprised?” He grinned, winking at her before lying down on the roof. “Most people are when I tell them. It’s a lovely feeling, knowing you just proved to someone that they had you pegged wrong. Yeah, I’m into manly shit and I’m not straight. We exist.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She nodded numbly, falling back onto the warm unit. Of all the ways she expected that night to go, that had not been even close. Later, when she was lying in bed, Alix stared at Chloe’s contact in her phone, imagining what it would be like if the girl actually liked Chartreux. But that was just an unrealistic dream, she reminded herself, rolling over. Just a dream.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope y'all like this one! Sorry it took me so long, I have no clue why it took so long to write. Oh well.</p>
<p>Let me know what y'all think! I've thrown in a few hints for some of the upcoming episodes I'll be doing, real excited for some of those! </p>
<p>Next up will be Animan!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Animan</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>What do Kim, a panther, and the world's most awkward encounter all have in common? They all are features of the latest akuma attack.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Kim was many things, but high intelligence was not a trait he had. He’d been called a himbo many times, and he proudly claimed that title like a badge of honour. He was almost proud of the fact that he rarely thought things through, and once again Max was scrambling along behind him to make sure he didn’t do anything that would lead to him killing himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Max trusted Kim, a whole lot, actually. The only problem was that the athlete had zero self preservation when it came to competitions. He’d grown up with competitive sisters, and it was almost like he didn’t know how to back down from anything. It was utterly frustrating in every way. If someone dared him to jump off the Eiffel tower and try to land in a kiddie pool, Kim might actually do it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim wasn’t stupid, he usually didn’t do anything too dangerous, but Max didn’t like to take risks like that. He and Kim had only been friends since the first day of school this year, and already he’d gotten pretty close to the taller boy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before this year, Max’s only close friend was Alix. She was always at the same banquets and exhibit openings his mom would have him tag along to, and she wasn’t a complete dummy like some of their classmates. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Max considered it pure luck that his oldest friend and his newest friend got along so easily. Sometimes it felt like he was the third wheel between the two, but since that awkward incident on Valentine’s day, both had been making an effort to prove that they loved having Max with them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That wasn’t the case for today’s activity. Alix was off somewhere doing something she hadn’t told either of them about, leaving Max to have some one-on-one time with Kim at the zoo. The zoo had been their compromise of something fun for Kim and fun for Max.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was outside and they could learn something, in other words.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The zoo was always nice this time of year, if you asked Max. It wasn’t too cold, and it was never too hot. The animals were all just content, and so was Max. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim, on the other hand, was as excitable as a puppy with energy drinks instead of blood. He bounced from exhibit to exhibit, pressing his face against the bars or glass like a little kid would. It was a lot less annoying than Max thought it would be in the beginning, and actually kind of cute.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The best part was that Kim would ask Max if he knew any facts about each animal as he stared at them wide eyed. It was obvious he couldn’t remember them the next day, but it was the kind of selfless, sweet thing Kim just did. He was a really great friend, most of the time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They’d just finished looking at the gorillas, and were approaching the section of the zoo where the panther was kept. Max was pretty excited to see her. The last time he’d been to the zoo, the area around her enclosure was too crowded by a visiting class of school children, and he didn’t have enough time to wait for them to move on. Today, though, he’d get to see her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s one big ass cat.” Kim exclaimed, tilting his head at the panther, the big feline imitating his movements. “This one’s a panther, right? Cause it’s black? Whoops, my bad, it’s a cat of colour?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What a dork. “You can call the panther black, Kim. And yes, you’re right, she is a panther.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sick!” Kim’s shout startled the big cat, who went back to prowling her enclosure with a huff. “Just checking, they’re only pink in cartoons, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Max paused, unsure if Kim was trying to make a joke or if he was asking a genuine question. He was never too sure with him. Better to be safe than sorry. “Yeah, they’re only pink in cartoons. They actually have spots, it’s just hard to see on most of them because they’re so dark.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim nodded silently, pushing up on his toes to try to keep the roaming panther in his line of sight. “Say, Max, how fast are these things, give or take?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I believe that the average land speed of a panther is somewhere around sixty kilometres an hour.” Something in Max’s gut told him that Kim’s question wasn’t entirely innocent. “Why do you ask?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s all? I can totally beat that!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh lord, what had Max gotten himself into?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alya wanted to grab Marinette and shake some damn sense into her. How was she so bad at following instructions? They’d spent all that time rehearsing, and she still flubbed up! If Alya could speak directly into her friend’s ear she’d be letting her know just how frustrated she was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nino looked just as awkward as Mari did, and Alya felt bad for the guy. His best friend was a no show, and Marinette was acting about as cool as a live volcano. It was a little weird how he hadn’t seemed all too upset that Adrien wasn’t there, and the way he kept glancing back to the other side of the rest zone was suspiciously similar to the way Marinette kept sending her panicked glances every time she flubbed up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That’s when it hit her. Holy shit, Adrien wasn’t late, he was pulling the same stunt she was! Nino was all awkward cause he had a thing for her girl! Alya’s mind was blown. How had she not reached this conclusion earlier? Now that she was thinking about it, it was so obvious!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The problem now, was how to deal with this new information. Nino wanted alone time with Marinette, who was convinced Adrien was on his way. Plus, the girl was crushing hard on the blond boy. There had to be some way to resolve this situation without hurting either of them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If Nino got all sad after being turned down, Marinette would no doubt feel super bad. There was also the small chance that Marinette might accidentally lead Nino on by not realizing he’s into her. She did mention that they’d been friends forever, and no offense to her girl, but sometimes she was completely blind to others showing her affection.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alya was stumped. There had to be some way for this whole mess to end without hurting either of her friends! </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before she had time to actually come up with what would have been a genius plan with no flaws whatsoever, a swarm of zoo animals flooded into the rest area. They seemed to be chasing a screaming Kim, who had Max thrown over his shoulder like a sack of flour. Why was it that most of the time when something weird was happening there was someone from their class nearby?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alya pulled out her phone to make an akuma announcement on the Beetle Blog, then opened her camera. She crouched in the bush, trying to get a good view of all the chaos the animals were causing without drawing their attention. She tried to locate the akuma, but it just seemed like there was a swarm of the zoo animals. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wait a second, she thought, focusing her camera on the animals leading the charge after Kim. The zoo only had one panther, yet she was watching as two sleek, black felines followed behind her classmate. That was it, one of them had to be the akuma!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alya’s view of the action was suddenly disrupted by a zebra stepping in front of her, blocking her view of the entire rest area. It startled her enough that she stumbled back out of the bush, and ended up sprawled across the grass where she’d been watching the train wreck that was Nino and Marinette interacting. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The zebra turned to her, and before it could get any closer, Alya was swooped up, right off the ground. She looked down at the figure carrying her, and felt her breath get caught in her throat. Chartreux Noire vaulted them up onto the wall of one of the enclosures, and placed Alya gently onto the tree there.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can you do me a favour, Miss Cesaire?” The hero asked, crouching on the thin wall. She pulled her hood back over her head, covering more of her brown and green hair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Was a hero asking for her help? This was the best day ever! “Of course! Anything for you!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Great.” The cat hero stood up, and turned to look in the direction that Kim had been chased. “Stay here. Don’t you move an inch until the akuma is gone.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alya’s jaw dropped as the hero bounced away. How was she just supposed to sit there while all the action was happening somewhere else? She couldn’t lose this opportunity to record this akuma attack for her blog!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She started making her way down the tree, only to find Nino sitting on the floor of the enclosure awkwardly. Great, she was trapped in a cage with the one person out of the whole mess that day that she didn’t know how to deal with. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t know you were at the zoo today.” He tried for a smile, but it looked as awkward as the one he had been wearing while talking with Marinette. Great. “What are the odds of that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My dad works here.” Alya sat in front of Nino, keeping her phone open to her blog on her lap. “I come to visit him sometimes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nino seemed to buy it, and they faded into an awkward silence for a bit. “I really like your blog.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You do?” From every other interaction she’d had with Nino, he hadn’t seemed that into the heroes other blog. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah dude, I check it out all the time! My little brother like, really loves Crimson Beetle so whenever he wants to watch videos of him, I pull up the Beetle Blog.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh, Alya could relate to that. Her little sisters were all about these new heroes, and one of the only ways she could get them to settle down was to put on videos of the heroes doing their thing. “I do the same with my sisters!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alya didn’t notice when her phone screen timed out, too into her conversation with Nino. Maybe missing out on the fight wasn’t the worst thing in the world.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Where the fuck was Crimson Beetle? The akuma had been wreaking havoc for nearly a half hour by that point, and so far Alix’s partner was nowhere to be seen. Did the idiot get sick? That was probably it. He seemed like the kinda guy to lick a handrail or something by accident.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>How was she supposed to handle this akuma without him? Okay, she could probably take it down and destroy whatever object and all that, but purification was his thing! What the hell is she gonna do, eat the damn akuma? Would that even work?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After dropping her classmates into enclosures to keep them safe, Alix had begun tracking the akuma. Well, she was tracking the guy the akuma was after. Kim was a pretty fast runner, but he couldn’t have gotten too far away from the zoo. Plus, he wasn’t the brightest, so he must’ve gone somewhere he knew pretty well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She pushed open the door to the Dupain-Cheng bakery,, making sure to close it firmly behind her. Tom and Sabine’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as Alix stood in the doorway of the bakery. “Uhm, did Le Chien Kim run through here?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s in the stairway.” Mr Dupain answered, not blinking once as he spoke. Alix nodded, and made her way to the other end of the bakery. “Has he done something wrong? He came running in here all panicked, and he couldn’t even tell us anything other than the word akuma.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not too sure about the little details, but it seems like Kim may have been part of the reason for this akuma.” There was no doubt it was his fault, but Alix didn’t want to just slap them with that information. “He was being chased when I arrived.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Both bakers let out heavy breaths, but didn’t look particularly surprised. They must’ve known Kim for a while, in that case. Sabine rubbed at her forehead with one hand. “That sounds like him. Is Crimson Beetle handling the akuma while you’re here dealing with Kim?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh shit. Could Alix just admit that her partner was missing? Would lying to the two of them make her a shitty hero? No, she couldn’t paint her partner in a bad light. “Yeah, something like that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, good luck Chartreux Noire! We’ll be cheering you on!” Tom did a little fist pump, and Alix couldn’t help but smile. She nodded to the bakers quickly, and made her way to the boy of the hour.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim was huddled in the back of the stairway, knees tucked up to his chest. He looked like a trapped feral cat, shaking with wide, scared eyes. Alix almost didn’t recognize him as the tall loudmouth she saw in school. Sitting beside him was Max, who was rambling off facts about panthers like he was trying to distract Kim from his imminent doom. What a pair her friends made.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What did you do.” She got right to the point. If Alix was going to have to wait for her partner to show up, she might as well be productive. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Max looked up at her, stopping his rant cold in the middle of a sentence. “Well, you see, he-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, but I want him to answer.” Alix cut him off, knocking Kim’s shoe with her own. The tall boy startled, panicked eyes jumping up to meet hers. “I need him to admit it, if you don’t mind.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim didn’t say anything for a solid minute, but after glancing at Max, he spoke with a quiver in his voice. “I may have, uhm, insulted a panther in front of the zookeeper. He wasn’t too happy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yeah, no shit he wasn’t too happy. Paris had a whole zoo’s worth of animals running around, and some shape shifting Warrior Cats-ass akuma was hunting down Kim like he was a tasty little snack. “Alright, here’s what we’re gonna do. Kim, give Max your sweater, it probably reeks of your scent.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you gonna use Max as bait?” Kim flipped from terrified to Fight Mode in a snap, putting an arm out in front of Max. “I’m not gonna let you use my friend like that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The akuma will be drawn to your scent, dumbass. The second he sees Max he’s gonna go looking for you.” Kim hesitated for another second, before he started to take off his hoodie. “I’ll be running you farther into the city. Hopefully by the time I get back, Crimson Beetle will be here so we can take care of this akuma.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For a second, it almost looked like Kim had frozen at her words, but that wouldn’t make any sense. Alix was probably imagining things. Kim passed his hoodie to Max, who pulled it over his head quickly. Once he was securely swamped by Kim’s much larger clothing, the next stage of the plan could start. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix hauled Kim over her shoulder, and burst out onto the Paris streets again. She had to somehow get Kim across Paris while staying under the radar, which wouldn’t be an easy task. The kid was pretty damn tall, and there were animals everywhere. Any of them could be the akuma, as far as she knew. “Hold tight, buddy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Holding.” The boy sounded nervous, but Alix could understand that. They were travelling pretty fast, using her staff to vault over the rooftops and dashing into alleys at the first sight of an animal. “So uh, how’s your day going?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s an akuma.” What kind of question was that? How’s your day going? Alix thought Kim was better than this. Maybe the stress of the day was melting his remaining brain cells. “It’s about as good as an akuma day can be.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now safely across the city, Alix plopped Kim outside some random building. “Find a place to hide, and don’t leave until you see the ladybugs, got it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once he nodded, she took off again, back towards the bakery. She didn’t look back, but if she did, she would’ve seen Kim blatantly disobeying her orders.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Kim was so fucked. Not only did he cause an akuma attack while he was spending time with one of his friends, but he was super late to the fight. He and Tikki had pulled a swift switch trick back at the bakery, but the second Chartreux was bounding off across the city the little kwami was flying out of his t-shirt, looking dizzy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s up, Tikki?” He held a hand out for the kwami, and she flopped onto his hand like it was a fainting couch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked up at him with her big buggy eyes, looking pretty worried. “If I needed to breathe, then I would’ve suffocated in there, Kim. Your shirt felt like a sauna!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry, Tikks.” He always warmed right up when he was doing any kind of exercise, and he had been running for most of the morning. “How much rest will you need before we can transform?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just a second.” The kwami went limp for just a few seconds, before springing right off of Kim’s hand like she’d just chugged a whole case of Monster Energy. “Okay, I’m good to go!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tikki, spots on!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Crimson Beetle swung across Paris as fast as he could, trying to make up for all that lost time. He hoped he wasn’t too late, and that little Noire would be locked in a standoff with a literal panther. She was hella strong, but he learned to never underestimate a panther again. He didn’t want to think about what a cat of that sixe could do to his little partner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By the time he’d made it back to the Dupain-Cheng bakery, Noire was facing off against the panther, just as he feared. The akuma growled at the cat hero, before he turned into a gorilla. Huh, didn’t know it did that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He dropped to the ground beside her, trying to break his fall with a little roll like she always did. He’d been practicing his super cool superhero landings and poses lately, and it seemed to pay off a little. His landing was a little sketchy, but he didn’t break both his knees this time!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nice of you to finally show.” Noire called to him, extending her staff so it smacked the akuma directly in his big monkey face. “Let me guess, traffic?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shit, what could he say that would not make him seem like an asshole? “I, I was taking a big shit.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even the akuma paused. Fuck, that was definitely not the right excuse. Why had that been his first thought? Chartreux opened and closed her mouth, before finally finding the words to respond. “Sorry I asked.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The akuma, almost as if he was trying to break the awkward cloud that had surrounded them, charged towards Kim. He pulled out his yo-yo, and used it to swing out of the way last second. The big gorilla hand grazed one of his cape wings, and there was a whole moment where Kim believed he was going to be yanked back in. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chartreux swung out with her staff as Kim circled back around, and they ended up smacking the akuma from both sides. It stumbled back, before transforming into a panther again. Kim’s nemesis. It was time to step it up. “Lucky charm!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A laser? Seriously? Kim didn’t know much about cats, but he had always thought the laser chasing thing was just a big fat lie, like the moon being made out of cheese and watermelon seeds growing in your stomach if you swallowed them. Oh well, there was no time like the present to find out exactly how true that rumour was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Crimson Beetle swung up onto one of the lamp posts nearby, and pressed the little button to turn on the laser pointer. A little red dot appeared on the pavement, and he started to move it around the street, trying to catch the akuma’s attention.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And catch it he did. The second the panther’s eyes landed on the little dot, its pupils grew super large, and the big cat seemed to completely forget about the little cat hero he had been swiping at just seconds ago. Its big tail started to sweep excitedly across the pavement as it tracked the little dot with its eyes, looking more like a big excited kitten.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The problem with this plan, as it seemed, was that the laser was also distracting his partner. Chartreux Noire’s eyes hadn’t expanded as much as the akuma’s, but they were noticeably darker. Her belt tail flicked behind her as she followed the laser with those split coloured eyes, clawed hands clenching and unclenching at her sides.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That’s weird, Kim thought. He decided to file that information away for later, and started waving at his partner to get her attention away from the laser without alerting the akuma to his presence once more.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her blue and green eyes snapped up to his position after a few seconds, and it took a moment for her eyes to blink back to normal. Kim started pointing in the direction of the big cat, and thankfully she seemed to get the message he was trying to get across with his random, wild hand gestures.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chartreux pulled off another of those funky aerial things she was always pulling off somehow, jumping over the panther and grabbing the necklace around his neck in midair. She snapped it in half once she landed, releasing the butterfly for Kim to purify. Once the butterfly, now white, was flying away, he tossed the laser pointer up. “Miraculous Ladybug!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Marinette ran back to the rest area once Chartreux had helped her out of the enclosure she’d been placed in, searching all over for Alya and Nino. She nearly collapsed in relief when she saw the pair chatting casually at the table she and Nino had been sitting at earlier, and her heart nearly stopped when she noticed Adrien standing with them, a big bright smile on his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Marinette! Girl, it’s about time you made it back here.” Alya shouted, meeting Marinette halfway with a big hug. “I was worried you managed to get eaten by a lion or some big lizard or something.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marinette laughed off Alya’s concern, eyeing the boys over her best friend’s shoulder. “Even I’m not that unlucky. What were you guys talking about before I got here?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, Adrien was just congratulating Nino and I.” Alya said casually, but her smile had a sly tilt to it. “Apparently he was nearly here when the akuma struck.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, congratulate you for what?” They’d reached the boys as Marinette asked her question, looking back and forth between her best friend and the boy she’d known since they were just little kids. “What haven’t you told me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nino brightened, wrapping an arm around Alya’s shoulders. “Alya and I are going to see a movie later today.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like a date!” Adrien added, nearly bouncing with excitement. He was acting like he was the one going on the date, not their friends. “Isn’t that just the greatest news?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marinette turned her head to stare at Alya, her jaw dropping. She hadn’t even mentioned liking Nino before, where had this come from? “No way!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes way.” Alya threw her arm around Nino’s waist, sharing a knowing smile with the boy. “We wound up trapped together and got talking one on one and, well, one thing led to another and we decided to give it a shot.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marinette was, frankly, completely surprised, but she was also so glad that her friends had figured that out for themselves. “I need all the details when you get home tonight, you know that right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alya laughed, and Marinette fought weakly at the hand that shot out to mess with her hair. After the mess that this day had started as, she was just glad that something as positive as this had come from it.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>ITS DONE! I hope you all liked this one, and I'd love to hear what you all think of this latest installment of these feral jocks! I had both a rough time and a lot of fun writing this chapter, and there are some very special chapters coming up that I am very excited to share with all of you. </p>
<p>I have never actually written any djwifi bits before, so this was a first. And, the confirmation of the second canon jocks couple! One more will be confirmed before we finish with season one, so get ready for that!</p>
<p>Okay so, Copycat is next, and it will either be out super quick or take a while, no in between, sorry.</p>
<p>You can get more Jocks content by visiting my tumblr @symphonic-scream</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Copycat</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Alix's no good, very bad day</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Kim had gotten a whole ton of stares when he’d gone to a local coffee shop as Crimson Beetle. Well, that was to be expected. Other than that interview with Alya, the heroes of Paris were rarely seen and here he was walking up to the counter of a little shop to order coffees for him and his little cat partner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He only realized he could have just gone as Kim once he was carefully swinging away, drink tray balanced on one hand and a bag of mediocre pastries hanging from his mouth. He would’ve stopped by the Dupain-Cheng’s place, but he didn’t want to bother them after cowering there during the last akuma attack. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He and Noire had agreed to meet up for a little morning pep talk before their statue was going to be unveiled, just to give them a chance to get on the same page before the event started. It had been his idea to turn it into breakfast together, and even offered to pick up their stuff, which had led to the stares in line just now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim landed on the roof they had started calling theirs, smiling at the sight of his partner draped over the heating unit, hood down, eyes sleepy. The morning air was chillier than he had expected, so he could totally understand why she had claimed the warmest spot atop the theatre. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now that he had his yo-yo hand free, he took the bag of snacks from his mouth. “Hey bro, I got the stuff!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please don’t say it like that again, you sounded like you brought drugs.” The little cat hero sat up with a tired grunt, making grabby hands at the coffee. Kim passed her order over, fishing through the pastry bag for the croissant he got her. She took a tentative sip, before knocking the cup back and taking a few long gulps. “Oh yeah, I needed that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He sat across from her, leaning back against the door that led down into the theatre. They ate in silence, just two bros enjoying a nice breakfast before a statue of them would be unveiled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You excited?” He asked Noire, placing his empty cup beside him. He made a note to remember to take it with him so he could throw it out. Littering wasn’t very chill.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The cat hero shrugged, hands playing with her hood as it hung around her shoulders. Her hair looked extra messy that morning, as if she had been running her hands through it for a while before he showed up. “I mean, of course I am. Who wouldn’t be completely out of their ass at getting their own statue?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That was a weird expression, but alright. “Is there a but?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She paused, teeth chewing at her bottom lip as she thought her words over. Maybe Kim was experiencing a caffeine rush, but he could’ve sworn that they looked a little sharper than they should. It was probably the caffeine getting to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just, I don’t know if I deserve it. I don’t do as much as you do, you know? You do all the fixing and the saving and I’m just, there. Bro, my single power is to destroy anything I touch, that’s not very heroic.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim felt a spike of anger strike through his heart. Who was telling his bro that she was any less valuable than him? That was so uncool! “That is the most shit I’ve ever heard you say. I don’t know about everyone else, but I need you, bro! Like, you handled a whole ass akuma on your own while I was hella late, that sounds pretty statue-deserving to me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, that reminds me.” Chartreux dug around her pockets, and Kim was once again reminded that he had been cheated in that department. “Here, I brought you some Pepto. For the next time you’re late to an attack because you’re taking a massive shit.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow, thanks.” It was sweet that she remembered, but Kim wished she hadn’t. He was never going to live down his little lie, was he? “You really didn’t have to.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The little cat hero shrugged, pulling her hood up over her messy hair. Her eyes stared out over the Paris skyline, but they didn’t really seem all that focused. Almost like she was seeing something that wasn’t there. “We better get going. Don’t wanna miss our own unveiling, yeah?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alix was so fucking bored. Just as she thought, the public was mainly focused on Crimson Beetle. He’d been swept away in a swarm of reporters as soon as Mayor Bourgeois pulled the sheet off of the statue, and she’d been left to stand awkwardly next to the artist.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The statue itself wasn’t that shabby. Beetle Boy was still the main focus, standing tall and proud with his hands on his hips, wing capes flowing behind him. Stone Chartreux Noire was crouching by his side, making her even shorter than usual, and looked like she was curled around his legs like some sidekick pet. The craftsmanship was excellent, but Alix just didn’t like just how inhuman her statue looked compared to the big lug.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The artist, who’s name hadn’t quite stuck in Alix’s mind, was paying her no mind at all, standing on his toes as he looked at the swarm of Parisians who had swept Crimson away. In his hands he clutched a little ballpoint pen and what looked like a little piece of newspaper.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The artist deflated, and turned his disappointed eyes to Alix. “You’re pretty close with Crimson Beetle, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, you could say that.” Alix couldn’t give a better answer, honestly, cause what else could she really say? Like, she really didn’t know the dude all that well but she’d come out to him. It was a weird situation. “Why do you ask?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I wanted a chance to get his autograph.” The artist looked like he was going to say more, but he paused for a moment, looking back at the crowd surrounding the other hero. “I just, really admire him. He’s so cool and strong, and I would’ve loved a chance to talk to him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Uh oh, Alix could see right through this guy. He was definitely in love with Crimson Beetle, and he had it pretty bad. This normally wouldn’t be a problem, you love who you love it’s whatever, but her bro was a big dumbass. Like, he probably wouldn’t even notice the poor artist was hitting on him and just lead him on!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix looked up at the artist, a little peeved that she was so short, and decided to cut him off before he could face a long strong of emotional hurt. “You’re barking up the wrong tree, trust me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh?” Artist boy asked, looking a little shocked at her answer. The little toothpick in his mouth shifted, and his eyebrows furrowed deeply. “What are you implying, Chartreux Noire?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yeah, Alix was not a fan of the tone he was using, especially mixed with the way he was leaning almost over her. “I’m just saying that you may wanna reevaluate your options, cause this one really isn’t worth it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The artist opened his mouth, but Crimson Beetle was calling out to Alix, waving her over with the excited expression of a child let loose in a candy store. Alix gave the artist a mock salute, and made her way over to her partner. She couldn’t shake the feeling of a harsh gaze focused on her back, and remained restless for the little snippet of interviews she’d been roped in for.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Copycat did a little twirl, ignoring Hawkmoth’s voice in his head as he took in the new look. The ground was a little closer than usual, but the tail thing was fun. His hands shot up to play with the little hood, which had been such a fucking pain to carve into stone. Oh, the ears were sensitive, didn’t expect that one. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Get the miraculouses, get your revenge, yadda yadda yadda. Yeah, whatever, he’d get it all done. But Copycat wanted to have some fun first. What was a little fooling around in the grand scheme of things? The real question was where to first.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He wandered around for a little bit, nodding to the shocked civilians as he went. An added bonus of looking like the cat hero was that no one was really walking up to him like they would if he was the great Crimson Beetle. He ought to applaud the public for choosing the clearly superior hero to obsess over. Remembering the conversation he’d had with the little cat earlier just made a growl rip out of his chest, his fingers turning to claws involuntarily. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then, he saw it. An ad, plastered to the side of a sign post, advertising merchandise beyond the average realm of value. Oh fuck yeah, he thought, face curling into a conniving sneer. That looked like a fun time.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alix slumped her way through the museum, still trying to find her dad. She was totally exhausted after the morning she had, and she’d left her wallet at home. If she could just find her dad, then she could ask him for a little money to buy another coffee. They usually had little effect on her, but she’d been drinking too many energy drinks lately to be healthy and she needed something to spark some life back into her body.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix turned a corner, grumbling as she turned into the hall with the damn Mona Lisa. Of all the pieces in the museum, she was kinda sick of that one the most. She didn’t know what it was, but something about that woman really just made her want to punch DaVinci in his dead face. If only she could time travel and keep him from painting it, she thought.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The noise in the hall kicked up, and Alix was very suddenly </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> awake as she watched herself, Chartreux Noire, stroll into the hall, smirking like some little shit. Okay, maybe she didn’t need another coffee if she was hallucinating this bad. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chartreux Noire was practically dancing across the hall, spinning and dipping and waving at the visitors like a drunk circus clown. Alix felt something in her chest clench, an array of spikes digging into anything that gave hold. Who was this, this, fake, strolling around with her face, her tail, her little jacket? And why was it making her so goddamn upset?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmmmm, look at all these fine works of art!” The imposter Chartreux purred, and holy shit, was that a fucking dude? That sounded nothing like her, why wasn’t anyone saying anything? “So famous, so valuable! It sure would be such a shame if someone took one of them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And just like that, the imposter hero twirled right up to the Mona Lisa and plucked it right off the wall. Alix stared in shock as a thief in cat’s clothing waltzed right back out of the Louvre, painting tucked under one arm as he cackled. What kind of hellish fever dream was she having?!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why would Chartreux Noire do something like that?” Alix’s head whipped around, disbelief dripping into her gut and making her feel sick to her stomach. That was clearly not her, how did these people think she’d do something like that? Not only did he sound nothing like her, but she wouldn’t do anything like that! Didn’t people of Paris have any faith in her as a hero?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She had to follow that fake if she wanted to get to the bottom of this and save her name! She was lucky she’d left her skates on, cause she was not losing the trail of that imposter cat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She passed her dad on the way out, who tried to wave her down in his panic. “Alix! Alix, where are you going? We’ve been robbed!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No time!” She called back. Where was he when she had needed him? Bah, no time, she had a criminal to catch!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Plagg zipped out of her pocket and into her hood quickly, leaning close to her ear to speak while so many people milled around. “Woah there, Kitten, calm your horses. Where’s the fire?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you kidding me?” How was Plagg so calm about this? Was he even paying attention? “Some fraud just stole like, the most famous painting of all time, dressed up as me! And, no one even realized he wasn’t me!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The little god scoffed, kicking his little feet at her ear. “It’s probably just some stupid akuma. Plus, it was an ugly ass painting. Why paint a dumb woman when you could paint the beauty that is Camembert cheese?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course, why should she expect him to say anything else? Little bastard cat. He did have a point, though. This did sound like the work of an akuma. That was probably why everyone but her was convinced that the real Chartreux Noire had been the one to do that. Yeah, that had to be it. If it wasn’t, Alix didn’t want to know. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Plagg seemed to sense her mood, his voice going soft. “Hey, it’ll all work out, yeah? You and your big dumb partner have fixed every akuma so far. Plus, you’ve got something that little lookalike doesn’t.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah? And what’s that?” She made a hard left, tracking the imposter cat as he leapt across the rooftops with the painting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve got me, of course!” The little god snuggled into her neck, and Alix could feel his little grin against her skin. “You and me, Kitten? We make one helluva team.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix let herself smile a little, stopping outside the warehouse the akuma had landed on. “We sure do.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Okay, so this was where the akuma was hiding out. Alix, still wearing her skates, tried to find some sort of window she could peer into the warehouse from. The stupid thing was stupid tall, and why the fuck didn’t it have windows? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Plagg, get up.” Alix messed around with her hood, trying to get Plagg to pop on out of it as quickly as possible. Why was she wasting time with windows when she had a kwami that could float through walls? “Come on, you’ve got work to do.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Plagg grumbled, floating on his back in the air, and stretching out his little body much like a housecat would. He let out a big yawn, and Alix grimaced at the smell of Camembert on his breath. “What is it now?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Go through that wall for me? I wanna know what’s inside.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Plagg grumbled, but did as he was asked to. Alix bit her lip impatiently as she waited for her kwami to return, and cursed softly as she tasted copper. She must’ve been pretty distracted if she was biting through her lip like that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The kwami flew back through the wall, his little arms crossed over his chest. “It’s nothing special. Buncha rocks, couple of statues, a few pictures of you and the big red guy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rocks, statues, and photos? “Of course, it’s that weird artist from the unveiling! He was acting all weird when I told him that he didn’t have much of a chance with Beetle Boy, so he must’ve been pretty pissed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, so what now?” Plagg asked, floating lazily in front of Alix’s face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She clapped her hands. “I need to get a hold of Crimson Beetle.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Kim’s day was still going great! After he’d snuck back into his room after the unveiling, he’d found a note from his dad claiming the rest of his family had gone out shopping and hadn’t wished to wake him. The whole place to himself, what a treat! </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d grabbed a load of snacks from the kitchen and flopped onto the couch, just nearly remembering to set up the little bed he’d made for Tikki using an old soap box and a ruined glove. With no one home, he could finally watch whatever he wanted, with no interruptions.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim queued up the episode he’d been watching, and settled back into the couch. With the whole afternoon ahead of him, he’d surely be able to make a dent in what remained of the program.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not even two episodes into Kim’s little marathon and his phone was ringing. Tikki was sitting upright in her bed, eyes wide as she stared at his phone. Stupid thing probably woke her up. Kim grumbled as he paused his show, answering the call without sparing the caller ID a glance. “What is it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...Crimson?” A tentative voice spoke across the line, and Kim nearly dropped his phone. How the hell did someone figure him out? “It’s me, Chartreux Noire.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>How the hell had she gotten his number? He sent a panicked look to Tikki as he cleared his throat, but the little kwami was just smiling up at him softly. “How did you get my number, Noire?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m calling from my staff. Apparently our weapons are also communicators? Sounds fake, but whatever.” Chartreux’s voice sounded off over the phone, like she was trying to relax while balancing on a rope over a tank of alligators. Now that he thought of it, that sounded like a pretty cool trick… “Since you’re probably not transformed, I guess the call went through to your cell phone or something.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim nodded, all that making no sense to him, but he just accepted it. He was a superhero that got his powers from a little bug god, what was some weird phone magic in comparison? “Aight, cool.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a pause on the other end of the line, before his bro spoke again. “I’m gonna need your help with something.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?!” No, this was so not fair! He was just getting to a good part! “Can’t it wait a few minutes? Josuke and Okuyasu are about to cash in a phat cheque with that little spiky dude!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...are you watching Jojo?” Noire sounded surprised, and Kim couldn’t imagine why. She suggested it to him, so of course he watched it. And yeah, she was completely right about him liking it, he was loving it! “Wait, you’re on part four already? Did you skip right to part three or something?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Why would he skip parts? “Dude no way, I started with the first episode. I just liked it a whole lot and watch it all the time!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay okay, we’ll talk more about this later. I need you to come help me out, it’s important.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What could possibly be so important? He hadn’t gotten a single alert from the Beetle Blog or the news. “Spit it out, then.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That artist dude who made our statue? He got akumatized.” That didn’t make any sense, how come no one was freaking out like usual? “He looks just like me and robbed the Louvre, and everyone just thinks I did it!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, did you do it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bro, I just said I didn’t!” Chartreux Noire took a deep breath over the line, calming from her mini outburst. “Please dude, I need you to come meet me at his studio so I can clear my name.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well, he did really owe her after causing that last akuma and leaving her to deal with it alone for as long as he did. “Alright, give me the address and I’ll be there in a second or so, just hang tight.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Crimson Beetle landed right outside the studio, and circled the building as he looked for his partner. When his search came up with nothing, he cursed under his breath. That darn cat, he’d told her to hang tight! </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The front door was left unlocked, so he simply walked right through. Once inside the studio, he froze mid step as he watched two versions of Chartreux Noire wrestling across the floor, growling and scratching at each other. It really reminded him of the little fights he saw stray cats getting into in the alleys at night.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two cat heroes tumbled around as he stood there, each trying to pin the other to the ground. One swiped her claws at the other, the one on the bottom responding by kicking the top one off, sending that Chartreux skidding across the studio floor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim coughed awkwardly, and felt himself flinch a little as two sets of mismatched eyes locked on him at once. Both Chartreux’s got to their feet, approaching him slowly while glaring at the other.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Woah, stop right there.” Both froze at his command, and Kim bit his lip. Alright, so he had to figure out which one was his partner so they could beat the shit out of the other one. The real problem here was figuring out how to tell them apart. “Uhm, would the real Noire please raise your hand?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fuck, they both raised a hand. Well, there goes his plan. The Chartreux on his left took a tiny step forward, lowering her raised hand until it was offered in his direction. “I’m the real Chartreux Noire, you can trust me, partner.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I’m the real one!” The one on the right growled, glaring at the other one. “Our voices are different! Can’t you hear the difference? That’s the fake!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Honestly? He hadn’t even noticed. Now that he was focusing on it, he couldn’t even tell which one sounded like his bro. That was pathetic, considering they had spoken not even ten minutes ago. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you even listening? I’m obviously the real one!” The left one spat, glowering. They both turned back to him, and Kim had never been more scared of two people so small before. “Well? You can hear that I’m the real one, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim gulped, and he resisted the urge to swipe at the sweat growing on his brow. Sure, he could hear that they had different voices, but he still had no clue which one was his Noire and which one was the akuma. “Okay, okay! How about you both say the same thing, and I’ll judge it based on that! That sounds fair, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you kidding me? You seriously don’t remember what I sound like?” Said the one on the right. This one had the higher voice of the two, but that didn’t mean anything to Kim. For all he remembered, Chartreux could have the voice of Morgan Freeman. “Okay forget the stupid voice shit. Isn’t it obvious that that one’s a fucking dude?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The left one gasped, one hand going to her chest. No, his? Their? Damnit Kim was confused again! “How dare you! I’m obviously a girl!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Okay, this was getting them nowhere, especially since Kim couldn’t tell if either of them were lying about that. “Wait, why don’t you just tell me something only my Noire would know?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, that’s easy!” The one on the left grinned, sending a snide look to the other cat hero. “We’re dating, of course.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A laugh burst from Kim’s mouth, and soon he was folded over on the ground, pounding his fist against the floor as he gasped for air. The other Chartreux, the one that was obviously his partner, was in a similar state, only she had fallen on her back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s so funny?” The imposter growled, glaring at the two heroes. Okay, now that Kim knew this one was the fake, it should have been clear from the start that this one was a dude. “Tell me what’s so funny! I know I’m right!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim got his breath back first, taking careful breaths as he looked up at the akuma. “Oh, you have no idea how far you are from the truth.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, man.” His bro panted, grinning at the akuma with a nearly feral look on her face. “I’m gay as fuck.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wha, what?!” The akuma stumbled back, horror written across his face as he fell on his ass.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s the matter?” Chartreux got to her feet, stalking over as the imposter tried to shuffle away. “Don’t you support gay rights?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The imposter cat whipped out his staff, extending it right into the gut of the real cat hero. Kim swung his yo-yo at the akuma as his partner was tossed across the studio again, and it looped around the fake weapon. He gave it a hard tug, and the imposter fell forward.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Curse my weak artist arms.” The akuma growled, glaring at Kim as he got to his feet. He looked between the two real heroes as they approached him slowly, before his eyes locked on one of the support poles. One clawed hand shot out to smack at it. “Cataclysm!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With the support pole gone, the rafters over that part of the studio started to give out. Noire, the real one, quickly extended her staff to keep the catwalk from falling on them, and Kim quickly tossed up his yo-yo. “Lucky Charm!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A very large party popper fell into his hands, and Kim pointed it at the imposter cat. Noire was busy keeping them from being crushed, and the akuma had zeroed in on her, leaving him wide open for Kim to take his shot. He tugged the chord, and the confetti flew at the akuma.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sheer force of a party popper of that size sent the imposter cat to the ground, and Kim quickly started searching for where the akuma could possibly be. He found a little slip of newspaper and ripped it in half, releasing the butterfly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once he had it purified, Kim tossed the empty party popper up. “Miraculous Ladybug!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Once the roof was fixed again, Alix retracted her pole and let herself relax once more. The artist was lying on the floor of his studio, looking more confused than anything as he looked between the two heroes standing over him. “What happened?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You got akumatized, dude.” Crimson Beetle told it as it was, passing the newspaper clipping back to the guy on the floor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix leaned against the staff, letting her tail swing lazily behind her. “I think I must’ve said something to upset you, and I’m very sorry for it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, no, it was just a misunderstanding!” The artist spoke quickly, waving his hands at her. “And don’t worry about me telling anyone about what you said, your secret is safe with me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix nodded, and stifled a little yawn. This day had been so fucking long, and the sun was still chilling in the sky. Maybe this was her punishment for something she’d done. One super long, super bad day. Her own little personal hell. Alix wondered what she’d done to piss off the universe that much.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Beetle Boy talked things out with the artist while Alix fought off sleep, and soon the two of them were making their way outside to part ways once more. The taller hero dropped a hand on her shoulder, keeping her from heading home. “You know you rock, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, yeah?” Where was this coming from all of a sudden? “Why?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shrugged, smiling that stupid little smile of his. “Just thought you needed to hear that. See you later!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix stood outside the studio, dumbfounded as her partner swung away. For someone with as little as intelligence as a brick, he sure did seem pretty smart sometimes. Nah, it was probably dumb luck. Alix shook her head with a fond smile on her face, and started making her way home. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She needed a damn nap.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hehehe I finished this one rather quickly! I had a lot of fun with it, so that might be why. </p>
<p>Anyways, what did y'all think of this one? I'd love to know what you liked, disliked, all that jazz. Really helps me plan out future chapters that are more enjoyable all around</p>
<p>Next we got another banger with Evillustrator! Real excited for that one!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Evillustrator</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The class learns to never diss the arts, Marinette is very done, and also Juleka is gay, so that's something.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>If there was one subject Alix hated most, it was fucking science. It was right up there with math, hanging out in the dead section of her heart with people who took their shoes </span>
  <em>
    <span>and socks</span>
  </em>
  <span> off on airplanes, and whoever it was that had called the police about Alix skating to school. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She used to like science, when she was younger and teachers would simply play videos and do fun little experiments. Now? Now it was mostly sitting at their desks, writing endless notes on things she couldn’t care less about. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It didn’t help that she hated physics.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Usually, Alix spent science class barely paying attention, only keeping her head off of her desk because Ms Mendeleiev would drop a heavy book right by her ear if she did. Trust her, she was speaking from experience. Nothing was worse than practically falling off of a lab stool after being rudely awoken.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Today, Alix was staring blankly ahead, barely registering anything going on around her. If anything too big happened, Mylene would lean over and give her a swift kick to the shin as per their agreement. It had taken quite a bit of convincing to get Mylene of all people to agree to kicking Alix in the middle of class, but it had paid off in the end. Alix had yet to get another detention in science class, and it was all thanks to the other girl.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When the kick came to her shin, Alix barely managed to contain the full body jump as her mind returned to her body. Ms Mendeleiev wasn’t at the front of the class where she expected her to be, instead Alix found her looming over the desk Nathaniel and Juleka were sharing. Usually Juleka would be in her usual seat beside Rose, but she’d been moved to sit beside the artist for the week after she and her girlfriend were caught talking too much.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ms Mendeleiev was focused on Nathaniel, specifically the book on his desk. She had held open with her hand, glaring at the boy as he shrunk under her stern eyes. “Well, now I know why your marks are suffering so much in my class. You should be less focused on this doodling of yours and use your time for something of real value, like science.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nathaniel didn’t answer, but the hurt look on his face said enough. Alix winced in her seat. That was always a rough one to hear. What was with people always hating on the arts? Life would be so fucking boring without them, yet apparently the worst thing you could do was become an artist, a musician, an actor. Well, until you started pulling in big jobs with your name splattered across billboards and museums. Before that? You’re just wasting time and money.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Take your stuff to the office.” Ms Mendeleiev snapped the book shut, and the whole class flinched. She spun on her heel, and the rest of them turned their heads back to the front like they hadn’t been watching their friend get his dreams crushed by their science teacher. “You can tell Mr Damocles all about what was so much more valuable than my class time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix watched Nathaniel scramble to get his things together with his head hung low, the tremble in his hands making it that much harder. Juleka, silent, placed his textbook on his stack of materials before he could leave it behind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The red haired boy started making his way to the door, only to trip on his way out. The book that had caused their teacher’s freak out burst open, sending a flurry of sheets across the floor of the science room. Face red in shame, Nathaniel tried to pick up his belongings quickly, stuffing them back into the book.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chloe, of all people, had lowered herself to the ground, and had picked up a few of the sheets before she paused, looking down at one with a confused frown on her face. “Is this a drawing of Marinette?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Give that back!” Nathaniel snatched the drawing from the heiress, but the class’ interest had been piqued. Alix glanced at the paper nearest the desk she shared with Mylene, and managed to get a good look at a coloured piece featuring the artist himself as some sort of superhero, a blushing Marinette in his arms. It was actually really well done, and Alix was a little bummed when it was swept up and returned to Nathaniel’s sketchbook. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The pages all picked up, the artist fled the classroom. Chloe, now back in her seat beside Sabrina, had a small scowl on her face, hands clenched for a split second. The blonde took a deep breath, then schooled her features back to her usual flavour of bored. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now that we’re no longer </span>
  <em>
    <span>distracted</span>
  </em>
  <span>, let’s talk about the assignment.” The class snapped back to attention, all eyes back on the teacher as she wrote on the board. Alix squinted, trying to read the words scribbled out in chalk. She must’ve suddenly developed dyslexia, cause she was getting none of those words. A quick glance at Mylene, and okay, she was just as lost as Alix was.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The bell rang, and the class began packing up their things. Their last period for that day was technically another science period, but with that new project assigned, they were spending it in the library.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim was super happy with the group he’d gotten. Not only did they have Max, who had the highest mark for their class in science, but also Rose. The girl didn’t look like it, but she and Max were neck and neck for his title for top sciencer, which was totally a word no matter what Max said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The blonde was saying farewell to Juleka, before she bounced her way to where Kim and Max were standing just outside the library doors. “Hey guys! Sorry for making you wait, I just had something to say to Jules real quick.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s okay Rose, you won’t hear me complain.” Kim laughed. Yeah, who was he to keep her from having a quick word with her girlfriend? They probably had to cancel a date because of this stupid project. “So what’s the plan, Maxie?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The shorter boy ignored the nickname he usually hated, pushing his glasses up his nose. “We’ll split the assigned chapter into three equal parts, and take one part each. We’ll do our research separately, and put it all together once we get all our notes together. Does that sound good to you two?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No, that did not sound good! Here Kim was hoping to coast by with doing as little as possible while Rose and Max did their science magic. He didn’t know anything about physics! This was quickly becoming the worst possible situation for him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds perfect to me.” Rose smiled, rocking up on her toes. “Should we send our parts to you when we finish? Ms Mendeleiev wasn’t a big fan of all the glitter I added to the last project Jules and I handed in. She said science shouldn’t be pretty, but I think that’s a load of garbage.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Max agreed, and the two started leading the way to the library as Kim trudged behind. He was going to be so dead.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alix dropped the small stack of books she’d grabbed on the table Juleka had grabbed for them, nearly hidden in the tall shelves of the library. She slumped into one of the chairs opposite the taller girl, and they sat in awkward silence for a minute.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you have a way of getting a hold of Nathaniel?” Alix asked, switching to sitting up in her seat. She frowned as her sneakers dangled, the damn chairs too tall for her again. Being short was the absolute worst. “So we can tell him about the project.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juleka shook her head, eyes locked on the books Alix had brought. “Sorry.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eh, it’s whatever, I don’t have his info either.” She scooted forward on the chair until her feet were firmly planted on the ground. She couldn’t have anyone saying anything to her about it. “What about your little girlfriend? She seems like the type to have everyone’s numbers.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juleka coughed suddenly, bracing one hand against the table. She looked over at Alix with her one visible eye, wide with confusion. “My </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span>?!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, your girlfriend? Our classmate Rose?” The taller girl blinked, and Alix was a little worried about her. Had she suddenly lost her memories when she entered the library? “Short, blonde, very pink? Pretty much a living Disney princess?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know who Rose is.” Juleka wheezed, running a hand through her long hair. Her other eye was visible as she brushed her curtain of hair back, only for it to fall right back into place a moment later. “But we’re, we’re not, she’s not my…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix rose one eyebrow, leaning in closer. “Spit it out, Jules, what is it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re not dating.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No. No, Alix was obviously hearing her wrong. There was no way that Rose and Juleka, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Juleka and Rose</span>
  </em>
  <span>, weren’t dating. They, like, invented romance! When Alix thought of love, she thought of how Rose could understand Juleka without her even needing to say anything. She thought of Juleka always having spare pink gel pens mixed in with her black pens for when Rose’s ran out of ink. She thought of the soft smiles they shared, the handholding, the clear adoration in their eyes when they huddled and whispered at the back of the class. It just couldn’t be possible for them to not be dating!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re lying.” Alix managed to breathe out, her voice as thin as the breeze on a bright day. “Please, tell me this is some joke.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why would I joke about this?” The goth frowned, head tilted. The fact that she seemed genuinely confused just broke Alix. What was going on with the world? Had she somehow entered some upside down dimension? “Why would you think that Rose and I are dating? We’re just best friends.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Chloe and Adrien</span>
  </em>
  <span> are just best friends. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You and Rose</span>
  </em>
  <span> are like, I can’t even use real words for it.” How could Alix verbalize the feeling of spamming every heart emoji at once? How could she possibly put the pure love that radiated off of Rose and Juleka at all times into words? “Like, seriously, you two are totally in love.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve got it all wrong.” Juleka bit at her lip, casting her eyes back to her lap. “Rose doesn’t like me like that, I’m just her friend.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix picked up on that wording, and decided their project could wait. Besides, they had a group member missing, and this was far more interesting than physics ever could be. “Well, how do you feel about Rose?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The taller girl froze, her eyes squeezing shut. The hand still on the table trembled, and when she spoke, her voice barely carried across the table, trembling like a small dog in winter. “Rose is my best friend.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that all she is to you?” Alix moved to the seat beside Juleka, lowering her voice now that she was right beside the girl she was talking to. “I’ve seen the way you look at her, Juleka. Hell, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile without Rose being there. You can trust me, you can tell me the truth.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juleka didn’t move at first. Alix was about to give up and get working on their project, when the goth girl slowly opened her eyes. She looked so scared, so small, yet after a few quiet, deep breaths, she spoke. “I, she’s the one thing I love the most.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yep, there was that gooey romantic thing she expected from Juleka and Rose. “There, was that so hard?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, it was.” Juleka looked more relaxed now, and was playfully glaring down at Alix, which was something the shorter girl didn’t know she was capable of. “What about you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What about me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I told you something, it’s only fair you return the favour.” Juleka’s visible eye sharpened, boring into Alix’s very soul. Her height allowed her to lean over Alix, and suddenly it felt like she had walked into a vampire’s trap with her neck bared. Alix sort of wished she’d just done their project and let Juleka keep her secrets. “Let me guess, harbouring something for a special friend?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was no way Juleka could read her that easily, especially since she was still working through all that herself. Alix decided to try to throw her off her trail. “What, Kim? Sorry, but I’m not into doofuses like him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juleka clicked her tongue, but let up. The look in her eye didn’t lessen one bit, however. “I think we both know I wasn’t talking about him, but okay. I’ll ask Rose for Nathaniel’s number so we can get some work done.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix froze. Was it possible that she’d been so obvious that Juleka had picked up what she was starting to think might be feelings for a certain blonde heiress? It shouldn’t be possible, she hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary! Well, there was that whole necklace thing back on her birthday, that incident from the first day of school, and okay, maybe Alix was letting her eyes drop to the row in front of her in class sometimes but Juleka shouldn’t have been able to see all that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You were right, she had it.” The goth smiled softly down at her phone, a soft, sad flutter in her voice. “I can make a group chat?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sounds of screaming erupted from the rest of the library, and Alix shot to her feet. Hawk Moth had the absolute worst timing in the whole world. Alix peered around the edge of the bookshelf that kept them hidden from the rest of the library only to see Chloe being chased by a giant hair dryer? Then she noticed a familiar, colourful figure up on the upper level, right by the doors. She could be wrong, but it sure looked like the figure from Nathaniel’s drawing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s a new one.” Alix jumped as Juleka suddenly appeared over her shoulder. She hadn’t heard her walk up behind her, but that very well could have been due to the screaming and the sound of the hair dryer. Maybe. “Well, I’m gonna dip before I get turned into a comb or something. Text me when you wanna work on the project, or if you’re finally being honest with yourself.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And with that, Alix was alone and safe to transform. Plagg flew out of her pocket as she palmed the ring, his eyes following Juleka’s casual retreat. “She’s one strange kitten.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eh, that’s just Juleka.” This wasn’t anything new to Alix, but she could see how someone who hadn’t grown up around the other girl might not be used to the way she did things or spoke. Well, more like how she didn’t speak. Alix was pretty sure she hadn’t heard the other girl speak until they were like, nine. It was probably just because they hadn’t been in the same class until then. “C’mon, claws out!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Kim flopped down onto the comfy, expensive chair with a pleased sigh, hands braced behind his head. Chloe’s suite in the Grand Paris was probably the comfiest place Kim had ever been, and probably one of the most expensive at that. Well, other than the Louvre. It sure was the most expensive bedroom he’d ever been in, that was for sure.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d taken a minute to look around the place when they arrived, claiming it was to get familiar with any entry points the akuma could use. In reality, he’d just wanted to see how Chloe lived. There wasn’t much in the room that made it really feel like Chloe’s room and not just another luxury suite at the hotel. It was almost too neat, with the only noticeable personal items being a round black cat pillow on her bed, and the doll she had been holding during the Lady Wifi incident was sitting neatly on the bedside table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chartreux had taken a seat on the loveseat, and had looked rather relaxed until Chloe sat beside her. Well, if you could still consider what she was doing sitting beside. The blonde was practically sitting on the hero’s lap, hugging her arm to her chest as she went on about how safe she felt now that the heroes were there. Kim couldn’t help but doubt that he was a part of that statement.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So…” Both girls turned their attention on him. The heiress didn’t look too pleased about having her time with the cat hero disturbed while Noire’s eyes seemed to almost plead with him. Of course, she wanted him to start acting as a wingman, there was no other explanation! “How’s your day going? Other than being targeted by another akuma, I mean.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chloe toed off the boots she’d unzipped when she walked in, tucking her legs under her. “Nothing too special. One of my group mates for a group project was causing a fuss because my friend Sabrina was writing my notes for our project.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why didn’t you just write your own notes?” Chartreux asked, leaning away from the blonde ever so slightly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My handwriting is absolute garbage, of course.” Chloe detached from the cat hero to grab a notepad and pen from the end table in front of them. She started writing something, and even from where Kim was sitting he could see how awkward she looked as she wrote. “See? Completely illegible. Marinette seems convinced that I’m faking, but I’m not going to get all worked up over something as silly as this. I’ll probably call my butler to write out my part of the project when I get a chance to look through my book.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh yeah, there was not a word on that page that Kim could actually read. It looked like complete chicken scratch, kinda like the notes his mom and her doctor friends would write at work.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So you’re going to have your butler do the work for you?” Kim asked, tilting his head to see if that would help him decipher what she could have written. He was pretty sure there was a ‘t’ in there.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The blonde scoffed, tossing the notepad back onto the table with a huff. She curled back into Noire’s side, but kept her arms crossed as she glared at Kim. “Do you really think so little of me? He’s just going to write it out, of course. I do my own work, I’ll have you know. Sabrina just writes anything that needs to be written.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That was a surprise to Kim. All these years he thought Chloe was making the other girl do all the work for her. This did actually explain how Chloe still got good marks on tests without having someone else take them for her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It still sounds like you may be taking advantage of your friend to me.” Chartreux looked at the girl beside her thoughtfully. “Have you ever tried to get your handwriting fixed? Done writing therapy?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chloe’s eyes darkened slightly, and her mouth twitched down into a scowl. “That’s why my writing sucks. I did a whole writing course when I was really small because apparently I was writing with the wrong hand or something. Clearly didn’t work.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait a second.” That didn’t sound quite right. “Are you left handed?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Pfft, you can’t be left handed.” Chloe laughed, but when neither of the two heroes joined, she trailed off. “That’s not a thing, right? You can’t be left handed, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh boy, this was a whole thing in and of itself. The two heroes made eye contact, and Chartreux looked down at her staff before quickly getting up and walking over to the window they’d left open when they swung in. “Oh look at that, I got a message about a secret mission I have to check up on! I’ll be back later see you bye!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chloe and Crimson Beetle sat in awkward silence after the cat hero jumped out the window. Kim didn’t meet the heiress’ eyes just in case she resumed her left hand panic, and instead focused on the notepad on the table between them. “Wanna play tic tac toe?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alix waited until Evillustrator, Nathaniel, was completely out of sight before she made her way into Marinette’s bedroom. She’d actually put the pieces together right before she left Crimson Beetle alone with Chloe at the hotel, and had left him there in the case that something like what had just happened, well, happened. Nothing against her partner, but he had a stealth stat of negative 60.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you okay, Ms Dupain-Cheng?” Alix stood in her classmate’s room, hood pulled over her hair, hands firmly resting in her pockets, tail lightly flicking at her ankles. She was beyond lucky that of all her classmates to get targeted romantically by the akuma of the week it was Marinette. Anyone else wouldn’t have been able to create the perfect set up for the perfect akuma trap.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marinette took in a shaky breath, her smile small and uneasy. “I think so. I don’t know if I would’ve been if you hadn’t shown up when you did, Chartreux Noire.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry it took me so long to piece it together and get here all the same.” She’d been wasting time trying not to react while Chloe was sitting so close, when she should’ve been out looking for the akuma. “You were hella brave.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The baker’s daughter flushed, and averted her eyes while her face broke into a small smile. “It wasn’t anything special.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That girl needs a serious confidence boost, Alix thought. She’d make a mental note to seriously start hyping up Marinette more in school later. Now was time for planning. “I hate to ask this of you, but what do you think of being artist bait?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Marinette scuffed her foot against the ground as she walked along the street that followed the river through the city. Here she was about to go on a fake date with an akuma while she was supposed to be writing her portion of her physics project. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She’d recognized the akuma as the hero from the sketches Nathaniel had dropped in science that day, and she knew it wasn’t the red haired boy’s birthday. She’d only agreed to the date because she’d seen the cat hero through her skylight and assumed she’d fix everything before it happened. How was she supposed to know she’d get roped into being akuma bait?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My fair Marinette!” Oh no, he found her. Marinette forced a smile and turned towards the water, only to find the akuma floating along on a rather large boat. “I spied your beauty under the glow of the moon, and I do believe I have been blessed by the gods.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That sounded absolutely nothing like Nathaniel, Marinette realized. She’d proofread a bunch of his essays in class over the years, and he was awful at writing. Seriously, he once compared someone’s sadness to that of a rat in the same situation. There was no way this was that same boy. “How, sweet of you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“C’mon, come aboard my ship, there’s plenty of room.” It sounded like he intended for it to be a joke, but it sure wasn’t funny like one. He held out a hand to her, and Marinette reluctantly took it. “Here, let me help you down. Watch your step.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now on the deck of the boat, Marinette let Evillustrator lead her to a little bench near the stern, and they sat facing the nose. Marinette had tried to sit as close to the end of the bench as possible, yet the akuma ended up practically on top of her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s a lovely night isn’t it?” Evillustrator stared straight ahead of them. The smile on his face made Marinette uneasy. It didn’t look like it should belong on Nathaniel’s face, but was this really Nathaniel? When she didn’t respond, the akuma chuckled darkly. “Sorry, I don’t get the chance to talk to girls very often. They tend to stay away when they learn that I’m an artist.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Right, he was an artist! He’d probably been akumatized after the incident in science that day, which meant that his akuma was probably in something related to his art. But what could it be? His pencil or his tablet? “Oh, you’re an artist? I draw sometimes too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s cute.” The akuma smiled down at her, and Marinette fought the urge to just sock him right in the nose. Jeez, this dude was a complete ass. “How about we each draw something with my tablet? It can make anything you draw, you know. We can make something for each other.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He started sketching and Marinette glanced up at the bridge they were passing under. Braced between the supports, just hidden in the shadows were a pair of mix matched eyes, and a big shadow beside them. Ah, so that’s where the heroes had decided to wait to scope the situation out. They lowered as the boat passed by, no doubt hiding somewhere behind Marinette and the akuma so they could grab the item and cleanse.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There, finished.” Marinette looked back at the tablet just in time to see him finishing a drawing of the Eiffel tower, a brilliant star atop it. In front of them on the boat, his drawing came to life. Though, it was far from the size of the real tower, which they would be able to see if they simply turned around. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marinette did her best to smile, despite how much she really wanted to scowl. “Wow, that’s amazing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, I know.” Arrogant fool. “The star symbolizes you, for you shine just as bright as they do.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was gonna fucking hurl if they didn’t wrap this up soon. “Thank you. May I have my turn now?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The akuma nodded enthusiastically, handing her the tablet and pen. Marinette started drawing a hat, and decided that yeah, the akuma was probably in the pen. She had a 50/50 chance, why not take it? So, faking a sneeze, she threw the pen behind her. “Whoops.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was silent on the boat for a moment, and Marinette turned to look at the top deck behind her. The two heroes had given up hiding, and were looking over the edge of the boat. Crimson Beetle turned around, and pointed down into the water below. “You threw it overboard.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Heroes! Marinette, you deceived me!” The akuma growled, all that “nice guy” niceness gone in a split second. “I thought you weren’t like the other girls like Chloe, but it seems I was wrong. You’re a bitch too!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well, that went about as well as Marinette should have expected it to. Evillustrator started trying to draw on his tablet with his finger as Crimson Beetle used his lucky charm, a magnetic fishing rod, to retrieve the pen from the river. When the akuma’s finger wasn’t registering, he shouted in frustration and lifted his tablet up to his face and started drawing with his nose.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The boat drifted past an older couple walking up on the street, who stared at the mess with eyes as wide as dinner plates. Marinette smiled awkwardly, waving at the couple as they floated by. The last sight they probably saw of them being Paris’ two heroes struggling to cast the fishing rod as it kept sticking to Chartreux Noire’s staff as the akuma’s tablet manifested a very squiggly mass that looked like it was supposed to be a giant pair of scissors. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eventually the heroes managed to fish up the pen, and the bug hero snapped it and purified the butterfly that flew out of it. Then, to finish the job, he threw his fishing rod into the air. “Miraculous Ladybug!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The ladybugs swept by, and suddenly the heroes, Marinette, and a very confused Nathaniel dropped into the river as the boat was erased. Her head burst from the water, and she coughed as she tried to keep her head above water. What a fitting end to that day, she mused.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alix and Juleka stood at the base of the stairs that lead from the courtyard up to the level their classroom was on, silent as they waited for the final member of their group to arrive. As soon as she arrived home from last night’s disaster, Alix had texted Juleka and Nathaniel about their project, and the three had stayed up far too late to finish it together.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The artist had volunteered to print it out as an apology for being the reason they had to wait until that hour to work on their project, but both girls had been quick to tell him they didn’t blame him for it. They then spent a whole hour roasting Hawk Moth and his akumas, mocking his name choices and design decisions.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nathaniel ran up to them panting, holding the folder that held their project. “I’m so sorry again, guys. My mom insisted on driving me on her way to work, and she stopped to get coffee for a new client.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eh, class hasn’t started, so you’re all good.” Alix waved him off, leaning against the railing beside her. “I saw one of your drawings yesterday, by the way. You’ve got some wicked skill.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The boy blinked, looking at Alix as if she’d grown five extra heads and told him he was a fairy princess. “You think so?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“For sure. I mean, I usually stick to street art, spray paints and all that, but I still know a bit about traditional and digital and all that. You’re super good.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, it’s great.” Juleka smiled softly, stuffing her hands into her pockets. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The trio stood there as Nathaniel tried to process tha praise the girls had sent his way, and Alix, who hadn’t been awake long enough for her tolerance for silence to get very high yet, kicked off of the railing with a huff. “You have a good eye for colour. I have to get some new paints this weekend, would you be able to help me pick some out? You too, Juleka.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry, Rose and I have plans.” The taller girl responded, pointedly looking away from Alix and her raised eyebrow. “We’re just friends, Alix. We’re just going to see a movie together.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure, just friends.” Alix was totally not convinced. She turned back to Nathaniel, who looked like he hadn’t done more than blink and breathe in the last minute. “So, you in or not, Tomato Boy?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The artist started to smile slowly, and soon he’s pretty much grinning at Alix. “Sure, why not? I’ll lend you my expertise, Short Stack.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix nudged his arm lightly in retaliation for that nickname, but she was grinning too. The bell rang and the trio started making their way to class. If the group chat originally used for their project was going off during their lessons that day, then so be it. Alix had a feeling she’d be using it more and more as time went on.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>SURPRISE Julerose are just friends hehe. Wonder how long that'll last?</p>
<p>I've never written a ton of Juleka or Nathaniel before, how did I do? </p>
<p>Anyways there it is folks. There's some parts I'm happier with than others, but it is what it is at this point. A little longer than I thought it would be originally, too. Puppeteer is next, so get ready for these jocks to fight a literal child</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Puppeteer</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Children suck so much. The jocks get to see some old friends again, and Kim considers the possibility of war criminal forest animals</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Nino stuffed his hands into his pockets, fighting the urge to rock back on his heels as he and Alya waited outside the door that led to Marinette’s home. The three of them had made plans to go see a movie, and Nino and his girlfriend had agreed to show up to Marinette’s early to make sure they couldn’t be late.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adrien had been invited, but like most of the times they attempted to hang out, he couldn’t get his dad to loosen the leash. Nino missed his bro, and he really didn’t like making Marinette third wheel him and Alya all the time. She didn’t seem to mind, but honestly, it was about time they did something as a whole group again rather than just a trio.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alya knocked her shoulder into Nino’s arm lightly, forcing him to leave his thoughts in his head and rejoin the real world. “Floating away on me again, Spaceman?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, just bummed Adrien’s dad’s got him all cooped up while we’re out having fun.” It really just didn’t seem fair to Nino that someone who did so little wrong like Adrien was kept from having fun with his friends so often. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s complete horse shit, I know.” Alya huffed, crossing her arms as she glared down at her sneakers. “We can’t let it sour our day though, it’s not what Adrien would want. Like, imagine his reaction if we told him that we moped around all afternoon in his honour.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh yeah, that would be a disaster. The poor kid would probably blame himself for them not having fun one way or another. It still felt hella wrong, though. “That would be a complete disaster, yeah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Dupain-Cheng’s door swung open, and Nino and Alya backed up as Nadja Chamack of all people waved at the bakers as she dragged a pouting toddler out the door. Nino knew Marinette was babysitting, but he had no idea that she was looking after the child of someone so famous.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With the reporter out of the way, Tom and Sabine took notice of the teens waiting for their daughter. Tom perked up, swiping a tray of goodies off of the counter before waving them through the door. “Nino, Alya, it’s so good to see you again! Marinette will be down in a second, she’s just got a few things to put away. Here, have a little snack before you go! You’ll be less tempted to buy expensive movie snacks with something in your belly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They couldn’t argue with that logic. Nino let Alya grab a pastry first because chivalry wasn’t dead, before grabbing the last croissant on the platter. Tom turned to put the snacks back where he’d found them, and Sabine moved in to talk to them. “I heard Marinette say something about one of your other friends not being able to make it today. Marinette already waved it off, but do you think he’d appreciate a special delivery of something from the bakery? To lessen the sting?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure he’d love that.” Nino felt the words burst from his mouth, just slipping right by the gates of thought and right out into the world. “But uh, his dad watches his diet pretty heavily at home, so you might wanna keep it to something small or healthy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Watching what a kid eats like that, what a joke.” Tom sounded like he wanted to say something worse, but he was always watching his language around Marinette’s friends when they spent time around the baker. “Just let the kid enjoy it while he’s young, he’s got a whole life to watch what he eats.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, before that conversation could go on much longer, Marinette stumbled down from her room, a sheepish smile on her face. “Hey, sorry about the wait guys. Babysitting ran a little longer than I expected.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s all good, girl.” Alya threw an arm around the other girl, taking a second to finish the pastry she popped in her mouth as she passed the platter. “We got here extra early just in case something like this happened. There’s no need to worry, there’s no way on Earth we’ll miss our movie!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alix grabbed a can off the shelves, bringing it closer to her face to inspect it. It was a pretty shade of blue, but she wasn’t sure how well it would fare with the rest of the colours she’d picked out so far. Nathaniel had been a big help in narrowing down the palette for her next project before they arrived at the store, and he’d been lending his eye to help her pick the shades that would work best.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They’d been in the store for twenty minutes already, which was like, four times the amount she usually spent when picking out her paints. Well, to be fair, usually Jalil was the one going with her, and the scent of the art store made him dizzy. Without the pressure of the possibility of her brother passing out weighing down on her shoulders, Alix could let her feet drag and really let her eyes take in every shade they had on display.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, you don’t want that one, not for this.” Nathaniel plucked the can out of her hands, placing it back where Alix had grabbed it from. At her questioning look, he simply shrugged, crouching down to run his fingers along the darker blues closer to the ground. “It’s too bright. Your palette so far has been really vibrant, and something closer to navy or indigo will work out better.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix had thought it was perfect, but today had just been proving to her that apparently she knew nothing about colours and all that shit. “Whatever you say, Tomato Boy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nathaniel paused his blue browsing to glare up at her, pointing one pale finger at her in a way that would be threatening if she hadn’t heard him shriek like a banshee at the sight of a rat earlier that day. “I’ve told you, it’s natural. Don’t get me started on that awful colour you use.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If your hair is natural, I’ll let you choose what colour I dye mine next.” She met his mother, and her hair was dark as night. Besides, even if it turned out she was wrong despite knowing she was right, she trusted Nathaniel to pick her a decent colour. “Now hurry up, I didn’t plan to spend all day here with you. There’s some special at the theatre for cheap movies for students and I wanna watch something shitty.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The red haired boy hummed, pushing up off the ground. “I’m gonna go check the next aisle, can you grab a navy that you like?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, sure.” He ducked around the corner, and Alix let her eyes scan the paints. She would never tell Nathaniel, but she couldn’t really see the difference between a few of them. Like, seriously, some of them were literally the same but with different names to her, no one would know the difference if she chose a royal blue rather than navy?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With all the patience of a toddler with crayons at a restaurant, Alix grabbed the first blue can that looked dark enough to pass for navy, a can labeled ‘Satin Royalty’, and spun it in her hands as she walked into the next aisle to get her friend’s approval. “I think I found the perfect one-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her sentence died in her throat as she looked up, finding the row of paints deserted. “Nath?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He must’ve just gone down the next one, she told herself. Only, he wasn’t there either. In fact, she checked the whole store, and there wasn’t even a trace of the boy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix walked up to the man working the cash, keeping her eyes out for the bright head of her friend as she spoke. “Uhm, did you see a guy walk by here just now, like, fifteen-sixteen, bright red hair, looks like he listens to nightcore?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, I haven’t.” The worker bit his lip, holding in a laugh at her description. It was pretty accurate, Nathaniel did give her those vibes. “I can ring up those paints while you’re here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix passed over the basket along with the blue, trying to think of any way that Nathaniel could’ve left without passing the front cash. She paid, and left just as confused as she had been when she entered that other aisle. Where the hell had he gone?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The streets were unnaturally empty as Alix made her way to the nearest subway station, so she didn’t complain when Plagg moved from her hoodie pocket to her hood. “Looks like your little artist friend ditched you, Kitten.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t sound so smug.” Alix grumbled, and if she weren’t carrying a bag filled with spray paint cans, she’d flick at the little cat kwami. She’d been getting less and less tempted to do that lately, either because she was just getting used to the little bastard cat or because he was getting used to what caused her to flick at him. “And he wouldn’t ditch me like that, there has to be some other reason I can’t find Nathaniel right now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm, you got ditched.” Plagg singsonged, breathing his stinky cheese breath down her neck as he did a little spin. “Don’t feel too down about it, Kitten. You’ve always got me, after all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Great. Somehow, picturing a world where Plagg was her only friend was both not terrible but also the worst possible thing at the same time. He wasn’t all that bad, but only him? Yeah, that seemed to be some kind of eternal hell punishment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the end of the street ahead of them, the reason Paris looked nearly deserted tumbled rocky foot over rocky head. Stoneheart, Ivan, let out an angry shout as he got back to his feet, turning to face the cackling red and black blur that slammed right into his chest, sending the akuma flying back again. The stone beast grew in size at the impact, but he looked disoriented as he tried to pull himself out of the building he’s been sent through.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was Alix’s cue to duck into the nearest alley. She tucked the bag of paints behind an unmarked dumpster, and if she had the time and the disregard for public property, she’d tag it with the electric green she’d picked up. “It’s showtime, Plagg.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When we find Hawk Moth, we need to teach him about the importance of TAKING A </span>
  <em>
    <span>FUCKING BRAKE</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Plagg bellowed, and it was a wonder such a loud sound came from such a small thing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, sure thing.” Alix shook out her nerves and frustration, raising her ring hand in front of her face. “Plagg, claws out!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Missed me again, Ivan!” Kim taunted the akuma, cackling like some low grade villain. Could you really blame him though? He was having the time of his life! The first time he had to fight Stoneheart, he was inexperienced and was an asshole to his badass little partner. Now though? Now he was having fun pushing the big guy around a bunch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m Stoneheart!” The akuma stomped his foot like a toddler having a meltdown in Walmart, pouting to top off the act. Wow, Ivan must’ve really been having a bad day this time. This was nothing like the last time Stoneheart had made an appearance. “Call me Stoneheart, you big meanie!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Okay, somehow that one hurt more than any insult an akuma had slung his way so far. No, seriously, Kim actually winced at that one. Who knew Ivan had it in him? “Who’re you calling a meanie? You’re the one that’s just a big pile of rocks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That only seemed to piss off the big akuma that much more. Luckily, as the akuma threw its head back to roar, Chartreux Noire landed on the lamppost beside where Kim was standing. “This guy again? Hawkmoth must be getting lazy or something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What, no greeting for me?” Kim played up the hurt act, but he had to dodge a car thrown his way with a little Yip before he could continue. “And here I thought we were past the hostilities, bro.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another car nearly took his head off, but Kim dropped to the ground just in time for it to nearly touch his hair. The little cat hero snickered up on her perch, tail swinging below her as her face broke out into what looked like a Cheshire Cat impression. “My bad, let me start again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She leaned back, and in a weird switcheroo, her tail wrapped around the top of the light, and her grinning face swung lazily over Kim’s spot sprawled on the road. “Oh, why hello there Beetle Boy. My, what a brilliant day it is today, wouldn’t you say? Lovely weather, makes you just wanna lay back and look at ‘em all day, yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s much better. Was that so hard?” Kim rolled away as a mailbox was thrown their way this time, and he scrambled to his feet in the flurry of letters that were sent flying at the impact. “Now that the pleasantries are done with, you ready to beat up this rock pile for the third time?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The cat hero dropped to the ground effortlessly, pulling her staff out from behind her with a confident twirl. “Fuck yeah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two heroes split up, jumping at the akuma from both the left and the right. The big rock monster swung its fists at them, but with only one of them open, there wasn’t too much to dodge. Missing its targets only seemed to piss off the akuma more, so with a simple look, Kim and Noire came to the agreement that they would continue to make it angry and bounce around its head for a bit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And, what do you know, a minute later and the akuma was so dizzy he simply fell over on his own. When Stoneheart didn’t get up immediately, the two heroes dropped down next to his closed hand, and started to pry it open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To their surprise, instead of a piece of paper or any other object that could’ve held an akuma, all they found was a little squirrel, staring up at them with wide eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kim turned to look at his partner, biting his lip as he glanced back at the squirrel for a split second. His stomach was already twisting up a little at the thought that crossed his mind. “Do you think we have to, you know…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have to what?” When the cat hero didn’t catch on, Kim mimed snapping his own neck before pointing to the little creature. “No, dumbass! Leave it alone, stop looking at it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kim raised his hands in surrender, but he wasn’t completely convinced. Maybe Hawk Moth was trying to test just how far they’d go? That squirrel did look sinister enough to commit a few war crimes. “Alright, then what do you think is going on, Noire?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before his partner had a chance to speak her mind, a TV, the one hanging off the front of the news station at the other end of the street sparked to life. The face of a demonic child appeared in the camera, standing far too close to the camera. Honestly, she looked like someone ate every haunted doll in any horror movie, a palette of ghoul makeup, and threw up the brat as a result. “Is this thing on?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kim winced, raising his hands to cover his ears as her shrill voice blared across the city. His bro wasn’t doing much better. She was nearly folded over, arms pressed tightly to her hood over where her real ears were. That was a weird thought. She technically had six ears, didn’t she? Damn, what a design. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s on?” The demon girl’s voice blared again, and the camera dipped in a nod. “Oh, good. Crimson Beetle and Kitty Noire, my name is Pup-Pet-Ear-” she stumbled over the word, “-and you’re gonna gimme your miraculouseses! And if you don’t, I’ll make my puppets fight you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The screen went black, and Kim turned to look at his partner. “So, I’m guessing this thing is her puppet or something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, I didn’t think you’d get that, but look at you.” Her tone had the slightest hint of being patronizing, but her expression looked genuine enough that Kim waved it off. “Remind me to get you a gold star or something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know you’re probably joking, but I will actually hold you to the star thing.” Kim warned, before turning to look over at the TV station. “So, you have any moral thingies about fighting a child?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The cat hero simply grinned in response, her belt tail flicking behind her as she leapt to her feet, the little bell at the collar of her jacket jingling faintly in the silent street. “I’m gonna yeet her so fucking hard.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alix crawled through the vent, cursing out Crimson Beetle under her breath. The one time she lets the big idiot make the plan, and he has her crawling through a fucking air vent that she only fit in because she was so fucking tiny. If she had any less dignity, she’d use him as a fucking scratch post.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She paused as she came across another vent, and thank </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span> this one looked down on the studio Puppeteer was housed up in. They’d seen Bubbler, Nino, through the lobby windows as they got close to the studio, and had elected for a sneak approach. If this akuma was bringing back old akumas, they wanted to know what they were up against before they jumped right into it, fists first.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Besides the akuma, there were two other figures in the room. Right beside the akuma was Lady Wifi, Alya, and chilling by the doors was- oh, so that’s where Nathaniel had gone- Evillustrator, sketching idly on his tablet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix pulled her staff off of her belt and brought it up to her face, tapping at the paw print to try to get the communicator working like it did last time. The dark vent eventually lit up with the face of her bumbling partner, who still looked amazed that his yo-yo was capable of something like this. “Yo, Noire-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shhh!” Alix tried to cover the outburst of his voice with a gloved hand, heart pounding at hyperspeed in her chest as she checked if any of the three in the studio had heard Crimson. When none of them looked up at her, she took her hand away and glared down at the small image of his face. “Keep it down, buddy, I’d rather not get found out ‘cause you never learned to use your indoor voice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could barely make out his muttered response of ‘but I’m outside’, but rolled her eyes nonetheless. When he started speaking again, he was much quieter. “So, what do you see?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, there’s the little girl, and she’s got Lady Wifi and Evillustrator in here guarding her.” The ladybug hero pouted through the call, and Alix knew she’d regret asking the question that spilled from her lips. “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The other hero grumbled a bit, before glaring at her. “You didn’t use the code names I came up with!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not this. “I couldn’t remember them all. Plus, you said my name earlier.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I called you Noire, which was your code name. You’d know that if you had been listening to my plan.” He scoffed. “And second, there weren’t that many names to remember! Lady Wifi was Anti-Ad Block, how is that hard to remember?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dude, I barely remembered Lady Wifi. Look, she’s got two guards in here, alright? What now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her answer didn’t come from the communicator, which had gone dark just before she could finish her sentence. No, her answer came from Crimson Beetle bursting into the studio himself, instantly smacking Lady Wifi’s phone out of her hands. Well, Alix mused, that was pretty much what she expected from him. She knocked the vent out from under herself, and dropped down to join the fight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While the Crimson Idiot handled Lady Wifi, Alix focused on Evillustrator. “Wow, back again so soon? Guess you couldn’t get enough of us the first time, huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The akuma growled in response, and started drawing on his tablet. Last time, he’s drawn in the expert motions of someone who practiced for years. This time? It looked more like a child scribbling away until something usable could be pieced together. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He managed to summon a chain of rubber ducks connected by some string, and Alix flipped back to avoid being smacked in the face with a duck. Extending her staff, she swept the artist akuma off his feet, but that didn’t stop him from trying to hit her with his duck whip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While Alix was stuck playing the weirdest game of Helicopter she’d ever been a part of, the Bubbler decided to join in. The akumatized version of another of her classmates started blowing bubbles all over the room, and yeah, those were probably more deserving of her attention than some rubber ducks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Beetle!” She called across the studio, trying to alert her partner to the newest addition to their fight. “Bubble Bass has arrived!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix heard a gasp somewhere behind her, filled to the brim with the kind of unbridled joy that was usually only found in children on snow days or Christmas and all that jazz. “You used the code name!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hadn’t even realized she’d used it in all honesty, but she’d let him believe she had actually tried to remember all the dumb code names he’d came up with for every akuma they’d fought so far. Bubbler shot another bubble her way, and Alix just managed to jump out of the way, only to put herself back in duck range. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Evillustrator managed to hit her with the ducks, and just her luck, Bubbler sent another of his bubbles her way. Right before the bubble could reach her, Alix used all her weight to drag the artist akuma in the way, sending him towards the ceiling and out of the fight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The scream of rage from the child on the other side of the room reminded her that there was a main target in all this. A quick look to find Crimson Beetle still locked in a battle with a near tantruming Lady Wifi, and Alix was dashing across the studio to square up with a kid.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No no no no </span>
  <em>
    <span>no</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Puppeteer stomped, screaming with all the rage a little kid could manage. “I’m s’posed to win! I’m the winner, not you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix flipped over the akuma, using her staff to swipe her feet out from under her when she landed. “Yeah, sure doesn’t look like it, kiddo.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A bubble shot in her direction, and Alix simply watched, amused, as Puppeteer held up her little magic wand just as the bubble would have passed over her head, taking the little wand and the akuma puppets floating around it up to the ceiling with Evillustrator.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My wand!” The kid cried, rounding on the Bubbler as tears started to build up in her little eyes. “You dummy, get it down! Get it down, </span>
  <em>
    <span>get it down</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the two akumas fumbled around, Crimson Beetle managed to finally smash Lady Wifi’s phone, allowing him to join the main scuffle. “Lucky Charm!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A spotted bow landed in his hands, and with the flourish of someone who had obviously never held a bow before, he chucked it aside to throw the plunger arrow as it was. He snatched up the akumatized item, and after purifying the butterfly that flew out of it, he tossed his bow into the air. “Miraculous Ladybug!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After the fight had been, a bit of a chaotic time. Explaining how each of the puppet akumas had gotten there was a pain, but Marinette showing up and agreeing to make the heroes their own dolls of themselves was a bright spin at the end.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix collapsed against her bed after retrieving her paints, only to be disturbed by her phone buzzing in her pocket.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>/Fruit Basket/</strong>
</p><p>
  <span><span class="u">Tomato Fruit</span>: Alix im sorry i got akumatized and ditched you at the art store</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span><span class="u">Blackberry Fruit</span>: u wot lmao</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span><span class="u">Tomato Fruit</span>: not now Jules</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span><span class="u">Tomato Fruit</span>: im apologizing for being used as a human puppet</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span><span class="u">Dragonfruit Fruit</span>: accepted</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span><span class="u">Dragonfruit Fruit</span>: also J how was the date</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span><span class="u">Tomato Fruit</span>: yeah OwO</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span><span class="u">Blackberry Fruit</span>: 1 not a date</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span><span class="u">Blackberry Fruit</span>: b that emote made me go blind im blind now</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span><span class="u">Dragonfruit Fruit</span>: f</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span><span class="u">Tomato Fruit</span>: f</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span><span class="u">Dragonfruit Fruit</span>: u will tell us about ur date at school but ima take a nap im tired</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span><span class="u">Blackberry Fruit</span>: hmmm no</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span><span class="u">Tomato Fruit</span>: sleep well you troll doll</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So yeah, there's Puppeteer. No big spontaneous character development this week folks, but uh, you got this instead. Surprise?</p><p>Nickname key for the chat:<br/>Tomato Fruit: Nathaniel<br/>Blackberry Fruit: Juleka<br/>Dragonfruit Fruit: Alix</p><p>I love the colour gang so expect to see more of them. Next chapter I'll probably be back on my development and foreshadowing shit, maybe not. Depends.</p><p>We're coming up on another filler chapter too, and after that one is my favourite stretch of episodes/chapters :) Lots to look forward to</p><p>Let me know what you thought of this one! Next up is Mr Pigeon, which is gonna be hella fun to write when I get to it</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Mr Pigeon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The big debate of the century: giant bird or reverse furry?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Alix pushed at the pencil as it rolled back towards her, watching idly as it simply rolled back up the desk before coming right back. She bit back another frustrated sigh, more for the sake of those around her than for herself. It wasn’t her fault that she had a negative tolerance for boredom, she was born to live in the fast lane.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A chair scraped against the floor of the library and, startled, Alix flicked at her pencil with a little too much force. It rolled right off the end of the table, and she winced when she heard the graphite snap from within the wood. There went that pencil.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose, who was sitting across from Alix, reached down to grab the now useless hunk of wood. She handed it back with a smile. The cheerful blonde had been the only one not bothered by Alix’s huffs and groans earlier, and was probably the only reason Juleka hadn’t jumped over the table to throttle her. She was a real angel among humans. “Here you go, Alix!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Rose.” She mumbled back, shoving the broken pencil into her bag. She’d throw it out later if she remembered it. It was the only one she’d brought that day, and in need for something to mess with, Alix reached for Nathaniel’s open case on the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boy smacked her hand away, before closing the case with a firm snap. “Nuh-uh, you’re banned from using my supplies until you return the highlighter you borrowed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But that was months ago!” Alix whined, smooshing her cheek against the table. She barely remembered borrowing the damn thing. “I’m sitting right here, you can just take it back before I leave.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The red haired boy held his ground, even going as far as to move his pencil case to the other end of the table, far from Alix’s reach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Juleka snickered, her visible eye carrying a dangerous glint as she looked up from the large sketchbook in the centre of the table. “Are you even paying attention?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I- yes, of course I am.” Alix huffed, trying to take in as much of the page from the corner of her eye as possible. She nearly growled when Nathaniel and Juleka flipped the page over so their work was out of sight. “How dare you assume otherwise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“C’mon Jules,” Rose leaned against the taller girl, fluttering her eyes up at her like a pro. Juleka, not immune to the self-proclaimed Juleka whisperer, started going red in the face as her eyes softened. Poor girl had it bad, “give her the benefit of the doubt! I’m sure Alix is super invested in our hat design.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No, she really wasn’t. It wasn’t like the thing was mandatory anyways, but Jalil and her father had mentioned getting home late that evening and Kim had run off with Max to work with Mylene and Ivan. Chloe, oddly enough, had been nowhere to be found, and Rose had swept her up while she was standing in a confused daze in the courtyard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So yeah, she didn’t have an opinion on the hat design. If Alix had it her way, she’d make something so completely astonishing that Adrien would have to break his composure around his father. She’d love to see his sunshine smile out more with his dad there, but the time and effort it would take to design that affront to humanity simply weren’t available for Alix.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep.” She drawled, grinning back at Juleka. “Super invested.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The taller girl narrowed her eye. Point, Alix. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The trio went back to discussing that hat shaped thing on the sheet, after Rose turned it back over, of course. Alix picked up on a few words, and managed to piece together that they were going for some kinda steampunk look. Just picturing Adrien wearing it while his father grumbled and tried to find a matching suit brought a little smile to her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was movement at the door, and Alix looked over lazily as Sabrina wandered in, looking the part of a little foal that had been abandoned by its mom. She made her way over to their table, and crouched down beside where Alix was still draped over the table. “Hey, have you seen Chloe?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope.” Alix slipped an arm under her head so she could speak easier. “I couldn’t find her earlier and thought she’d left with you or something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina’s face nearly slipped into panic, but she took a deep breath and maintained her composure. “She told me at lunch that she had something to do and that I shouldn’t wait up, but we have to work on our hat design at some point tonight. She’s not responding to my messages, Alix.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That really didn’t sound like Chloe. The only reason she waited to respond to someone was because she was sleeping or didn’t plan on responding at all. “I’m sure she’s just busy Sabrina. Maybe her phone died today?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, maybe…” The other girl didn’t look completely sold on the idea, but she got up and made her way out of the library anyway. It did get Alix thinking, though. What was so important that it had Chloe ignoring Sabrina cold turkey?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chloe grit her teeth, fighting off the tears building in her eyes. Her mind was screaming at her that she was wrong, broken, being purposely defiant as she held the pencil in her shaking hand. Her</span>
  <em>
    <span> left</span>
  </em>
  <span> hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re doing great, Chloe.” Ms Bustier placed a warm hand on her shoulder, smiling softly as she looked over the line of F’s Chloe had been writing. They were all shaky and looked like a toddler had scribbled them onto the page, but it was already feeling less awkward than how she normally wrote. “I can already read these easier than the tests and papers you’ve handed in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chloe sniffled, feeling wholly pathetic about the whole situation. Here she was, fifteen years old and crying while learning to write properly. She never expected Ms Bustier to agree when she asked her to help her unlearn all the bullshit that had been piled on her about her writing. It seemed she underestimated how much her teacher cared about her. “Like, for real?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman gave her shoulder a squeeze, and the warmth that spread from it helped melt the ice that Chloe liked to imagine frozen around her heart. I was better than the alternative, picturing a machine broken from years of misuse. Yeah, frozen was better than broken. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ms Bustier, who was slowly becoming Chloe’s favourite adult, smiled. “Dearie, you’re doing fantastic. For how long we’ve been working on this, you’re above where you should be. If you keep practicing, I have no doubt that you’ll be on the same level as your peers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, well it’s gonna take a while.” Chloe mumbled, rolling the pencil around in her left hand. Was she impatient? Yeah, she wasn’t going to deny that. She’d been getting better at not snapping at people lately, but patience was a virtue that she just didn’t possess. “Until then, I’m just going to be the girl who writes like she’s in kindergarten.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The teacher hummed, neither agreeing nor denying Chloe’s claim. “If anyone says anything about your writing, send them my way. You don’t need any more hassle about how you write.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, Chloe was getting choked up now. How great. “Thank… yeah. I will.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alix shook her head. Chloe could be up to literally anything. It wasn’t like she and Sabrina were attached at the hip. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe we could have Alix spray the gears to give them a rusted effect?” Nathaniel’s voice shocked Alix back into the present, and she blinked back at the three others staring at her all of a sudden. “Can you manage that, pipsqueak?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix stuck her tongue out at the boy, but she knew he meant no harm with the familiar nickname. And if he did, well, Alix would get back at him later. She was too tired to make a big thing out of it at that moment. “Make a gear look old and shit? Yeah, I can manage. I think I still have some rusty colours left over.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yay!” Rose cheered, doing a little dance in her chair. Juleka, from beside her, lit up like she just heard that she’d been cast in the lesbian remake of Twilight. “We’re going to win for sure!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And if we don’t?” Juleka asked carefully, still staring at Rose with the biggest lovey eyes Alix had ever seen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blonde shrugged, picking up her coloured pencils and gel pens. “Well, we still had fun! I count that as a win either way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, what Alix wouldn’t give to be able to go through life with the same optimism as Rose did. She wondered what the world would look like through cotton candy lenses and gumdrop eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kim was super pumped. His group’s hat was going to be so fucking rad, and he didn’t even have to do any of the making! He was practically dancing on his walk home, moving his shoulders in time to a beat in his head. He smiled wider when he heard Tikki giggle from his backpack, and attempted a moonwalk. Yeah, he was having a super day!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was taking the scenic route home, passing by the little park-like area around the Eiffel Tower. He didn’t go by that way very often. The tower wasn’t really any big deal when you see it every day, and having tourists gawk at him was weird enough in the rest of the city. But it was nice to walk by every now and then, remembering his first big victory as Crimson Beetle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He danced past one of the police officers patrolling the park, and Kim grinned as the cop gave him a weird look. It was like he’d never seen someone happy before, or something. Kim gave the officer a mock salute as he twirled past, leaving the cop baffled behind him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was having an awesome day!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then the screams started. Kim whipped around just in time to watch as a large swarm of pigeons rushed the police officer, surrounded him and carried him off. Well, you don’t see that every day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, pigeons are weird birds and all, but Kim was pretty sure they don’t just swarm like bees and kidnap cops. He was pretty sure he would have heard of it before if that were the case. So, he concluded that there had to be some sort of akuma behind the incident. After all, every other time something weird had happened in the city lately, it wound up being an akuma. And, an akuma meant transformation time!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kim dashed down the street, turning into the first alleyway he could find. He unzipped his bag to let Tikki out, who smiled up at him shortly. “I’m sorry your good mood was interrupted, Kim.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? No, it’s fine!” Kim was actually kind of pumped for this one. He’d been feeling a little stir crazy lately with the little break they’d gotten between attacks. He wouldn’t hope for an akuma, but he couldn’t say he wasn’t at least a little excited that this one popped up. “Besides, I think this fight is gonna be awesome!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do you say that?” The little kwami asked, tilting her little head. Kim briefly wondered what she’d look like in a little hat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kim grinned, placing his hands on his hips. “Uh, because this akuma’s a pigeon? Spots on!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The magic flowed through Kim, and he ran back out onto the street. He was pretty sure he saw the birds heading South-East, so he threw his yo-yo and got swinging.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now that he knew Hawkmoth could akumatize animals, the rules had changed. Would he be willing to fight a dog akuma? A cat? No, wait, did Animan count as a cat? He could be any animal, so Kim guessed that technically he’d already fought every animal. That made him feel better, just a little bit. He had no reason to feel bad about how much he wanted to punch a pigeon  right now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Beetle Boy!” Kim paused as Chartreux called out to him, his partner landing beside him after a moment. She looked a little disgruntled today, a little more tired than she normally did. Which was kinda odd, it wasn’t very late in the day at all. “D’you have any clue what’s going on?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I watched the akuma steal a cop.” He explained, casually twirling his yo-yo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The little cat hero raised an eyebrow, looking at him skeptically. Which, was actually pretty fair. His statement was pretty out there. “Steal a cop?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yup.” He wasn’t going to elaborate, but the lost and confused look on Chartreux’s face made him reconsider. “Like, a big hunk of birds swooped down and grabbed him. Can you believe Hawkmoth akumatized a bird?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Noire blinked. “He akumatized a bird?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pretty sure.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t think he could do that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kim shrugged, wincing as his yo-yo smacked him on the back of his head. “I mean, there was that whole Animan thing, the dude that was a panther.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Those are totally different.” The cat hero argued, her whole face scrunching up in confusion. If he didn’t know any better, Kim would assume she was contemplating the meaning of life. “One’s a dude that got turned into a panther, the other is a bird straight up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kim paused. “Did Hawkmoth assign Animan a fursona?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Noire opened her mouth to argue, only to stop for another minute to think. “Oh my gods, did he? Or like, did that guy already have a panther fursona?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have no clue, but Hawkmoth can totally akumatize animals.” Kim was willing to die on this hill he’d found himself on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The shorter hero just shrugged, and seemed to accept it. “You know what? Why not. Let’s go fight a fucking bird monster.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kim did a little cheer, pumping his fist in the air. It was time to punch a bird!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It took them a few minutes to get on the trail of the birds again. Turns out, Kim had been heading in the complete wrong direction. Whoops. He hadn’t even heading South-East, apparently, and neither had the birds. Yeah, Kim was kinda lost on that one. He feared what would happen if he ever got lost in the wilderness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Noire had pointed out the group of birds in the distance, and only rolled her eyes when they figured out he had been leading them in the wrong direction. She really must have been really tired. They followed the mass of birds across the city, swinging and jumping across the gaps and alleys while keeping a fair distance from the big swarm of birds. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they went they saw a few other packs of birds, all carrying some screaming person along with them. Kim sort of wondered what it was like in the bird prisons. Not that he wanted the pigeon akuma to sweep him away, no, he just wanted to know how it felt to be carried away by the birds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So like, how are we gonna find the bird that’s in charge?” Noire asked, landing on the next roof with a little roll. Her hood fell back, and the little fabric ears on her head rustled in the wind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kim shrugged. “Like, all the other akumas looked like circus clowns so I guess it’ll either be huge or super colourful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks.” She drawled. Oh, shit, right, that Copycat guy. Whoops. “Let’s just hope it’s a colourful bird.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why? Scared to fight a bird your own size?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bro, just think about the size of bird shit that thing could drop.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bro…” Holy shit, yeah, that would be disgusting. “...I kinda wanna see it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The cat hero shot him a look, no doubt questioning just what was going on in his head. “Look, they’re going into that building over there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The duo stopped on the roof they had just landed on, and Kim followed her finger to find the building she was talking about. It kinda just looked like any old warehouse in the area, the kind schools rented to hold big events that didn’t fit in their own courtyards. The birds flew in through the door, more flying out to find more citizens to pick up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, let’s go punch a few birds.” Kim cracked his knuckles, but before he could take a step forward, Chartreux had her staff locking his path. “What now, bro?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can’t just waltz right in the front door, Beetle Boy.” She explained, using her staff as a pointer stick now. “That’s where all the birds are. I say we bust in through the roof.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kim tilted his head, squinting at the building. “Do you think we’re strong enough to bust through a roof?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Noire turned to him, her tail snapping at his ankle. “Bro, there’s a skylight. We go in through the roof window.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, right, yeah, that made more sense. “Roof window, got it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The heroes made their way around the building, climbing up to the roof as quietly as possible to avoid alerting the birds inside. Kim was growing rather excited to see this akuma. Would the bird just be super huge? Maybe it was like, a rainbow pigeon. Ooh, a grim reaper pigeon would be so fucking rad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the fuck?” Noire muttered, leaning over the skylight to look down into the warehouse. “That’s just a dude.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No, no, that couldn’t be right. Kim was so sure that the akuma was a pigeon! But there he was, some crazy dude in a pigeon costume. Lame. “Maybe this is a reverse fursona? Like, animal becomes dude.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It better be, otherwise this is Hawkmoth’s worst work yet.” His partner grumbled, scowling down at the man as he flapped his arms like wings. “Well, let’s get this over with.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The jumped down through the skylight, shattered glass raining down around them as they fell to the floor. Kim went for one of those superhero landings, the one on the knee, and fucking hell did it hurt. If he wasn’t Crimson Beetle, his knees would’ve shattered for sure. Noire did a break roll, springing to her feet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bird man turned to them, and cooed angrily. He blew his little bird whistle thing, and all the pigeons in the room started flying in a cyclone formation. The birds circled them, forming a wall around them. The top of the circle closed, and they were shroud in darkness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, cut that out!” Noire called from somewhere in the bird jail, and it confused Kim for a second before he felt birds pecking at his suit. He tried to wave them away with his hands, but the damn things just kept swooping in again and again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kim squeaked when he felt a pair of wings rustling his hair, and made to grab at the pigeon. “Bro, use your fucking, destroying power on them or something!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not going to cataclysm a pigeon!” She shouted back. “Why don’t you use your lucky charm thing, huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, right. “Lucky charm!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kim couldn’t see what landed in his hands, but he felt a ring and pulled. For a second, nothing happened and Kim feared that he’d die via pigeon murder. His tombstone would be the dumbest one in the whole cemetery, only next to his little catgirl partner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then everything went white.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kim let out a surprised shout as he raised his hands to shield his eyes, the warehouse filled with the sounds of wings beating quickly. The bird assault ended, but he couldn’t see it. Actually, he couldn’t see anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bro, was that a fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>flashbang</span>
  </em>
  <span>?!” Chartreux grunted from somewhere in front of him. Kim tried to blink away the blur and pain in his eyes, but it appeared to be doing squat. At least now he could just barely make out the dark shape that he assumed was the cat hero. “Some warning would’ve been nice!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I feel the same way.” He responded, trying to make his way over to her. A big pink blur caught his attention out of the corner of his eye, which was probably that big bird man akuma. “Hey, akuma’s on the right. Can you see him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The black blur started moving slowly towards the pink one. “Just barely. But that’s enough for me to beat the feathers out of him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chartreux leaped at the pink blur, and the akuma squealed as she brought him to the ground. Kim stumbled forward, trying to regain his vision as quickly as possible because he did not wanna miss this. Just the screams of the bird man as Noire blindly swiped at him were music to Kim’s ear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Beetle, catch!” Before he could even react, something smacked Kim in the face, disorienting him even more than before. He dropped to the ground to palm around for the object that was thrown his way, feeling new sympathy for Velma from Scooby-Doo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nearly cried when his fingers found the, whistle? Huh, must be the item.  Kim snapped it, and fumbled with his yo-yo as he tried to catch the small black smudge in the air. Once done, he tossed the flashbang up. “Miraculous Ladybug!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fix it bugs washed over the warehouse, and Kim’s vision thankfully returned. The stolen Parisians were gone from the birdcage they had been held in, and on the ground beneath a scowling Chartreux was just some guy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He wasn’t a reverse furry.” The hero in black grumbled, walking over after climbing off the dude. “I can’t believe that that’s something I’m sad about. What has my life become?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kim shrugged, throwing an arm over his bro’s shoulders. He guided them towards the entrance of the building, completely ignoring the man on the ground petting one of the pigeons like it was a little dog. “Eh, what does that matter when you’ve got me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I must be too tired, cause that sentence made sense to me.” She bumped his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He bumped back. “Hey!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They didn’t win. But, on the bright side, neither did Kim’s group. Alix wasn’t too upset with the whole thing, really. After all, how were they expected to beat Marinette of all people? At least her rust effect came out well, if Rose’s excited squeal was anything to go by.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite losing, Rose insisted their little group celebrate at a little café nearby. Her treat, the blonde had insisted, actually skipping down the street. Juleka kept nearly tripping over the pedals on her bike as she walked with it, her attention focused entirely on Rose. Alix made a mental note to call her gay later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who knew Adrien was allergic to feathers.” Nathaniel mused, shifting his bag on his back as they walked behind the purple/pink duo. “And here I thought he was perfect.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix snorted, flicking her skates out just right so she spun in a little circle. “Him? Perfect? Yeah, you haven’t seen him tie his own shoelaces together because he didn’t think he’d actually fall over.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When’d he do something like that?” Juleka turned around to face them, practically gliding over the ground as she walked her bike backwards. It was almost scary how graceful Juleka could be sometimes without even trying. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix shrugged. “Eh, a few years ago? It was like, before we were eight, I know that for sure.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rose turned around now, somehow managing to skip backwards. “You knew Adrien before he joined the class? That’s so cool, Alix!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, yeah. My mom and his mom had been friends in school. We hang out sometimes at those boring ass parties our parents drag us to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You never said you were rich.” Nathaniel hissed, staring at her with wide eyes. “You made me pay for your paints last week!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix bit at her bottom lip. Had she really never told them? Not that it was hard to guess, her dad worked for the fucking Louvre. “Yeah, you had me running all over the city looking for you, you owed me. Plus, you’re not broke or anything, your mom’s a partner at a law firm. You can’t say anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuckn’ rich kids…” Juleka muttered, looking between Alix and Nathaniel. “I’ll forgive you both for not saying anything if you become my sugar parents.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix snickered, noting the drop in Rose’s smile at those words. They were both so totally into each other. “Yeah, I’ll pass. No offense, but you’re not my type so I’m not gonna sleep with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That got an actual laugh out of Juleka, even if it was just a bark. “I didn’t mean it like that, dumbass. You just buy me shit for having to put up with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And here I thought you stuck around because you liked us.” Nathaniel grinned, kicking at Juleka’s bike. “But no, how could I forget that your tiny goth heart only has room for Rose.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blonde girl giggled and Juleka starting turning red, her visible eye glaring at Nathaniel. Rose skipped closer to the taller girl, their shoulders brushing as they continued to defy everything Alix had ever thought about moving backwards. “She doesn’t act like it, but Jules is a big softy. She totally loves you guys as much as she loves me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yeah, Alix doubted that. She’d be damn lucky if anyone ever loved her as much as Juleka loved Rose. No, she couldn’t think like that. Besides, she still had friends, even if they were dumbasses all around. She could wait on her big romance a little longer.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This took far too long but it's here! </p><p>I love the little colour squad so much, but don't worry, we'll get to see some other class dynamics soon! We're also drawing closer to some of my favourite akumas, so hopefully that will help me make some better progress when it comes to writing</p><p>Also, Ms Bustier is a saint for dealing with her class, trust me, as someone who has dealt with classes of teens like that, she deserves every award ever for remaining sane. Also, you'll get no Bustier salt from me, she's gonna have some very important and big roles and moments as we go</p><p>Next up though, filler 2! The museum trip (date) mentioned in Origins Part 2! Get ready to read two disasters with a truckload of tension. Then it's off for the circus with Reflekta the lesbian flag clown</p><p>Let me know how I did with this one though in the mean time</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Filler: Museum Visit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A look back at the outing Chloe and Alix had together after Origins Part 2</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Alix ended up waiting outside the museum. She hadn’t accepted Chloe’s offer to ride in the car, instead joining her dad and Jalil on their way to work. Had she expected Chloe to be on time? Yes, of course she did. She’d arranged the outing, so Alix assumed it was reasonable to assume Chloe would be somewhat on time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yeah, Chloe was late.</span>
</p><p><span>Alix was maybe a couple of seconds away from just walking home when the sleek black car pulled up to the edge of the street. The blonde heiress started climbing out before the vehicle fully stopped, the panic in her eyes subsiding slightly when they found Alix. “Oh thank god, you’re here.”</span><span><br/>
</span> <span>“Yeah, have been for twenty minutes.” Alix drawled, crossing her arms and raising one brow. This was supposed to be Chloe’s chance to prove that she was going to try to repair their relationship, and so far it was coming across like she couldn’t really care less. “You’re off to a great start.”</span></p><p>
  <span>Chloe winced, looking away with something close to shame colouring her face. “I’m sorry, Daddy lost the passes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You could’ve texted me, I know you have my number.” She literally texted Alix the details earlier that week, there was no excuse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It, slipped my mind.” That made Alix pause. Chloe, forgetting about her phone? Either the blonde really didn’t give a shit or something was wrong with her that day. “But I’ve got the passes and I’m here now! We can still go through the museum, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix felt like a fish dropped into a desert. She’d never seen Chloe like this. The closest had been that day in the rain, charged with emotion and willing to undo years of wrongs and missteps and awful words. Whatever she chose now, there’d be no turning back from. “Uh, yeah. Sure. Anything you wanna see in particular?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chloe finally looked back at Alix, a small smile forming on her lips. “Do you have any suggestions?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I could take you on the DaVinci Code tour?” It was one of Alix’s favourites. She’d seen the movies with Jalil a few years back, and while they were far from the greatest things she’d ever seen, the part of her that lived for outrageous theories had been soaring. She’d probably talked her dad’s ear off about it for months.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chloe pursed her lips. “The what tour?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh no, this was unforgivable. “Have you never heard of the DaVinci Code? It’s only </span>
  <em>
    <span>the</span>
  </em>
  <span> conspiracy movie series ever made.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m- no, sorry, this is the first time I’m hearing of it.” Chloe looked more lost than anything in that moment, and Alix knew that she absolutely had to remedy this sin immediately. “I assume you’re making me do the tour now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know me so well.” Alix teased, looping her elbow through Chloe’s so she could drag the taller girl into the museum. Sure, this was Chloe’s chance to prove that she was going to put an effort into their friendship again, but what was the harm in Alix also using it to info dump about one of her favourite movies.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chloe brandished her passes at the entrance, getting them into the museum where Alix was about to take the blonde on the tour of her life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chloe followed behind Alix as she weaved through the exhibits, pointing out anything worthy of being mentioned on the way to where her favourite tour would start. They passed Jalil giving a tour to a group of older tourists, Alix’s brother raising his eyebrows at the sight of the blonde heiress trailing behind Alix. She knew that he was going to demand some explanation later. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But that was something for Future Alix to deal with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Present Alix was rattling off trivia from the DaVinci Code as she stood by the Mona Lisa. She mixed in as many real facts as she knew about the painting and the artist himself to balance out the movie trivia, getting caught up in her own passion of the moment. In that state, she failed to register the soft smile on her blonde companion’s face, or the gooey look in her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, what do you think?” Alix ended her little rant, tilting her head as she tried to gauge Chloe’s reaction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The heiress startled, blinking like she had just received a small shock. “Wasn’t there some rumour about this Leo guy being gay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix shrugged. “Oh yeah. Pretty much any of the big artists or musicians that weren’t explicitly in love with a woman were gay. Like, the dude who painted the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo? Big gay, drew his women as men with tits.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Damn…” Chloe’s voice fell off, her eyes trained on the painting. “All these super famous and loved people, and to think they were gay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix frowned slightly, narrowing her eyes at the girl who had spent years ignoring her. She hoped this wasn’t going where she thought it was. Alix wasn’t gay, but hating people for reasons out of their control was a stupid fucking thing to do. “Something wrong with being gay, Chloe?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blonde startled again, a slight tint of panic in her eyes. “What? No, not at all! What I meant was, like, they were gay and yet, everyone still loves them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” Alix was kinda lost here. Whatever Chloe meant was flying right over her head. She felt as if she should be able to tell what was going on, but something just wasn’t clicking, like the final piece of the puzzle had been sucked up by the vacuum. “I don’t know a ton about gay history, but there were places and times where it was completely normal to be gay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was silent between the two for a long moment. It wasn’t suffocating, not quite awkward, just silent. Which in and of itself was weird in the context of Chloe Bourgeois, and not something Alix would have been confident enough to bet on happening. The silence was a little comforting at first, as Chloe seemed to think everything over. Then Alix lost track of time and suddenly it felt like she’d been standing there for years.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wanna get lunch?” Alix swung her leg a little as she watched the other girl carefully. She had been having fun so far, which was actually a surprise. Alix felt a little bad, but she had assumed that Chloe wasn’t as invested in fixing things after arriving as late as she did. She was happy to be proven wrong. “My treat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chloe looked minutely surprised. “But, what about your tour? You seemed really excited!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look, we may not be all that close, but I know when someone isn’t really paying attention.” Alix tried to say it casually, but she realized calling Chloe out on her facade was a mistake when panic started to flood the other girl’s eyes. “I appreciate it, but honestly Chloe, we should be doing something that’ll make us both happy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The heiress looked hesitant, but she nodded and followed Alix when she started making her way through the museum. Alix knew the perfect place to finish their little outing. It wasn’t too hoity toity, and was slow and quiet. Plus the food was actually pretty darn good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The entrance to the museum had gotten rather crowded while they were inside. Damn weekend crowd. Alix reached back and grabbed Chloe’s hand, forcing back thoughts about how warm and soft her hand felt in her own. Chloe’s eyes stared back at her, wide and confused with something else Alix couldn’t place. “Don’t wanna lose you in the crowd.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“R-right.” Alix tugged the heiress through the crowd, quietly pondering the splash of red she’d seen on the other girl’s cheeks. Was Chloe embarrassed to be seen with her? Or was it something else?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The walk to lunch was calm. The two girls talked lowly the whole way, trading little tidbits about their lives that the other had missed out on for, well, the big reason. Alix left out the important fact that she was now a magical cat girl with the power to destroy anything she touches, but that didn’t stop the topic of Paris’ new heroes from coming up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so lucky that she caught me when she did.” Chloe sighed, a small smile on her face. Her hand twitched in Alix’s, though neither of them brought more attention to their joined hands. “Becoming a pancake is so not on my bucket list.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix snorted, grinning a little at the heatless glare the blonde shot her way. “Eh, I’m sure that magic bug fix it power would’ve put you back together again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, thanks.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you think of them, the heroes?” Alix found herself asking. She hadn’t meant to say the words out loud, but out they came anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chloe hummed for a second. “I don’t really care for the big red guy. Seems kinda loud, plus his cape looks dumb.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something fluttery and nervous settled in Alix’s stomach. “And the other one?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chartreux Noire? She saved my life, she’s amazing.” Chloe sounded near breathless as she spoke, the praise shooting something warm through Alix’s veins. “Her costume design is much more creative than his, and she’s got some pretty nice arms.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both of their faces were red at this point. “Arms, huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up, Kubdel, they’re nice arms.” Chloe kicked at her foot lightly, red seeping down her neck. “And it’s not like I’m in love with her or anything. I’m allowed to appreciate a nice set of arms when I see them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alix, fueled by the compliments that were unknowingly being thrown her way, let her grin turn mischievous. “I think the lady doth protest too much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chloe disconnected their hands to smack her shoulder lightly, and Alix let the laughter bubble out from her chest. She hadn’t had this much fun with Chloe since the night they first met, holy cow. And to think she had thought that this was all some big prank. Alix was glad she’d agreed to give Chloe another chance, she had really enjoyed herself that morning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She really hoped this was a sign that things were on the uprise between them.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Wow this took far too long, holy shit</p><p>I don't have too much more to say about this one, but do let me know what you thought. Up next is Reflekta, oh boy</p><p>[15 chapters until our next hero arrives]</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Reflekta</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>What's better than feral jocks? A feral goth, of course! Juleka really let's it all out in this one, folks</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Kim never minded picture day. It was nothing special to him, nothing he stressed over or got too excited for. Yeah, missing class time to stand and smil with all his friends was a super sick thing, but sometimes these photos were just so boring! Like, if the photographer took too long, he got restless and started messing with the students around him. His teachers were never too impressed with him when he started trying to blow people’s hair into random styles.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sit still, I’m going to get this shit in your eyes if you keep getting on like you’ve got bugs in your pants.” His mom hissed from behind as she helped wrangle his hair into his signature style. He’d gotten it cut and the bleach redone that weekend, and the first styling was always the worst. “You get those squirming genes from your dad.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim glanced at his dad through the doorway that led into his parents’ room, just in time to watch the man roll his eyes. “What does Dad think about that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your father is wrong, is what he is.” She huffed, her tone fond. She tugged on his hair just a little too hard, and Kim winced. With his two oldest sisters away for school and the third at a training camp for the week, he’d been forced to ask his mom to help. She wasn’t quite as gentle as Mychau, but at least he’d still have hair left at the end. “Alright, that looks like it. Do you want a ride to school? Your dad isn’t up to anything.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man in question rolled his eyes again, but he was smiling softly. Kim didn’t doubt that his mom had a similar look on her face. “Naw, it’s literally like a minute away, I’m good.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim dodged his mom’s attempt to try to fix his hair again and made his way to his room to grab Tikki and the rest of the stuff he’d need for school. The kwami popped her head out of her little soap box bed, smiling up at him. “Your hair looks great, Kim!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks Tikki.” Kim couldn’t remember what classes he had that day, so he just shoved as many books into his bag as possible. He could run home during lunch if he forgot something, probably. “Are you ever bored when I’m in class? Like, I’m bored out of my mind and they’re my classes, I can’t imagine how you feel.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The little god tapped her hand nub against her face, looking comically thoughtful. “I don’t really mind it. I can still hear the voices through your bag or pocket, and a lot of the stuff you’re learning is very interesting!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Damn, really?” Kim thought most of it was pure torture. He’d much rather fight some crazed akuma than sit through half of his classes. “Wish we could swap places, I could use a good few hours of nap time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You wouldn’t feel like that if you didn’t stay up all night watching your show.” The kwami tutted, zipping across the room to take her place in his backpack. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim gasped, throwing as much exaggeration into it as possible. “How dare you, Tikki. You just don’t understand how important it is that I catch up to Chartreux in Jojo? And I can’t just stop in the middle of a fight! I gotta find out if Giorno wins!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The kwami giggled softly, ducking down into the soft pocket that had been made especially for her. “Sure, Kim. Got it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He scooped up his bag and made his way to the door to grab his shoes, calling out a loud farewell to his parents as he slammed the door behind him. He took in a big breath of fresh air, and felt his body relax. He could tell that it was going to be a great day, he just knew it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was going to be an awful day, Juleka just knew it. She’d fallen out of bed, lost her favourite hairbrush, and she nearly hacked up a lung when Luka had to salvage breakfast while their Ma fought off the pack gulls that made their way in through a window that had been left open. In all the chaos she had wound up running late, which is why she was getting a ride from her older brother, Luka.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And by ride, she meant that he was ‘borrowing’ their Ma’s old motorbike while she hung on behind him for dear life. He wasn’t a bad driver, but it clearly wasn’t built to hold two teenagers. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nervous about today?” He called back to her at a red light, just barely turning his head. Right, it was school pictures day, the most dreaded day of the whole year. She’d completely forgotten in the cluster fuck that had been their morning at home.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not so much nervous, more, hopeless?” Juleka shrugged, fighting the heavy sigh that she nearly let fly. Without a doubt Luka would throw it back at her, in his strange brotherly mix of teasing and an attempt to lighten the mood. “I don’t want to get my hopes up. That only makes the result hurt that much more.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luka hummed in response, clearly not agreeing with her statement. “You can say you’re cursed all you want, but that doesn’t mean you can’t believe the next photo will be better. Manifest it, and all that. If you believe that it’ll be better strong enough, maybe the curse will just give up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, lemme just ask the photo curse to give it up for one afternoon.” It all sounded too hopeful to Juleka. She was just being negative to protect herself from a big pile of sucky emotions all at once. But there was that one little part of her that dared to hope despite everything she said, it’s little voice ringing clear above the others. It made her gut feel weird. “I’ll be fine, Luka. It’s just a dumb class photo. I won’t even remember it in a few years.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re allowed to want things, Jules.” She almost didn’t hear his soft voice over the sound of the bike as the light changed. “You deserve good things, too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luka slowed to a stop in front of her school, and Juleka took a second to catch her breath. The rush of the ride mixed with the whammy that had been her brother’s last words were still coursing through her as she got off on stumbly legs. She waved absently as Luka pulled away, and turned to enter the school with a small frown on her face. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Allowed to want things, huh</span>
  </em>
  <span>?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose found her before she could find Rose, bouncing over from where she’d been talking to Mylene, Nino, and Kim. “Juleka, you made it! You’re usually here when my mom drops me off but I couldn’t find you. I was starting to think you stayed home to avoid your-” her voice dropped to a whisper, “-</span>
  <em>
    <span>curse</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juleka couldn’t help but smile in her best friend’s presence. Rose, unknowingly of course, held her whole heart in her hand, and Juleka wouldn’t have it any other way. Well, the Juleka in her dreams had a Rose that returned her feelings, but being her best friend was close enough. It was good enough for her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nope. Just running late today.” She smiled softly down at the little blonde, and holy shit was she so lucky to have her in her life.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They’d made it back to the group Rose had left when she rushed over to Juleka, and Kim had his head tilted like a confused dog. “Who was that dropping you off on the bike, your boyfriend?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juleka blinked. Boyfriend? Okay, yeah, she was laughing now. Poor kid looked even more confused, but Juleka couldn’t help it, that was the funniest shit she’d heard in a while. Her, a boyfriend, what a riot. “Kim, pal, what about me screams </span>
  <em>
    <span>straight</span>
  </em>
  <span> to you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took a second to process, all the while Nino was starting to crack up as well. He pulled his hat down to shield his face as the chuckles broke through, and Mylene patted his back. Rose was more successful in holding herself back, but Juleka knew the look in her eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oooooh, I get it.” Kim snapped, grinning like he’d won the lottery. “Damn, did I really forget that you’re like, super gay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Seems that way, dude.” Nino recovered a bit, tipping his hat back up as he wiped tears from his eyes. “But like, Juleka, dude, who was that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh, right, Rose was the only one that had met Luka. The rest of them only knew she wasn’t an only child, probably. She couldn’t remember how much she’d told them. “Oh, that was just my brother Luka.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Brother?!” If he had been drinking, Kim would’ve done a spit take. “No, wait, I knew that one. But seriously, that’s him?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yup.” She wondered what the big deal was, he was just Luka. Plus, they hadn’t even heard him play.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nino let out a low whistle, his eyebrows reaching for the sky. “Damn, what kind of genes are running in your family?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...coloured hair isn’t genetic, Nino.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What- no, bro.” Nino shook his head, before staring right at her rather intensely. “I mean this in an absolutely platonic way, but both you and your brother are like, pretty damn attractive.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well, that was not what she was expecting at all. Sure, she was used to watching as people stared at Luka as he walked by, or stopped to listen to him play in parks for far longer than was normal. But her? No, she was Juleka, with the curtain of choppy hair and the weird red eyes. She looked like a rejected Twilight background vampire, without all the glitter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But arguing, in her experience, would just make this last longer, and that was not what she needed today. She just wanted to get the whole day over with smoothly and quickly, with as little snags along the way as possible. “If you say so.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Picture day was always a weird day for Caline. She was used to her teaching schedule being disrupted, sure, but something as mundane as photos was slowly becoming stranger and stranger. She hated to say it, but she was starting to get used to the constant fear for her student’s safety hovering in the back of her mind. This is probably how teachers in America feel, she was sure of it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Getting her class out of the classroom had been the easiest part, even if they weren’t the quietest class as they descended into the courtyard where the photos were being taken. She was quite lucky that none of them tried to wander off, really. It was almost like it was going too perfectly. Caline hoped that wasn’t a bad sign.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then, it was their turn. The photographer took his time lining the students up by height and all that, squinting and tilting his head as he went along making small adjustments. The usual bunch were placed in the front, and oh, what an odd choice, to place the mediums in the back. Caline hadn’t seen that one coming at all. With her students all placed, she took her place beside Nino, and pulled up a calm smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The photographer walked behind his camera just as his phone started ringing. “Oh, darn, that’s my mother.I’ll be back in just a second, hold tight.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A second pause, and the kids were scattering from their spots. That wouldn’t do. “Try to remember your place so we can come right back when the photographer is ready!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ms Bustier?” A soft voice called out to her, and Caline turned to find Juleka nervously fiddling with her hand mirror. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Caline smiled down at the dark haired girl, hoping to make her even a little less nervous. That had been one of her little personal goals, to try to get through Juleka’s wall of nerves before the end of the year. She wanted to watch the girl flourish. “Yes, Juleka? Is there something I can help you with?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl tapped her toe against the ground. “Can I go to the washroom? I’ll be super quick, I promise.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh, that might be a problem. She knew the photos were on a tight schedule this year, but surely they had enough time for this. “As long as you’re quick, we wouldn’t want you to miss the photo!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juleka nodded quickly and hurried off. Caline did a small headcount of the rest of the students, sighing in relief when she found them all close by. She felt silly for feeling that way, but she had some deep feeling that if she wasn’t careful, a few of them might slip off and do something dangerous. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She couldn’t handle that, if it happened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The photographer walked back in, pocketing his phone and clapping to get their attention. “Alright let’s make this quick, we have a lot of classes left!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The rest of the class got back into their places, and Caline walked up to the photographer. “Can we wait just a minute more? One of the students is just in the washroom.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We don’t have that kind of time, I’m afraid.” The man shrugged, adjusting his camera. “Besides, looks like they’re all here to me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She couldn’t decide what was worse, him being snippy, or him actually not noticing that Juleka was gone. Sure she was quiet, but her hair has fucking purple, it was kind of hard to miss. “It won’t take long, I promise, she’ll be right out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ms Bustier,” Mr Damocles warned, “we don’t have time to hold up the class photos like this. We only have the photographer booked for so long.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Caline felt something nasty growing in her chest, the feeling almost too similar to what she felt when Chloe came to her about her writing dilemma. How dare someone try to disrespect one of her students like that? She felt her hands start to shake, fighting down her anger. Oh, she wished she could tear them apart right now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She glanced at her students, noting their concerned faces. Rose had turned around to look at the space that was left in Juleka’s absence, Adrien was flicking his eyes between her and Damocles, and Marinette was watching the doors, no doubt hoping Juleka would pop out and take her place back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her boss gave her another testing look, as if daring her to defy him. And oh, how she wanted to defy him, for Juleka. She held out for another tense second, before letting her shoulders drop as she walked back to her students.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ms Bustier, Juleka’s still missing!” Rose insisted, standing from the bench. “I can go grab her, please!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No time, I’m afraid.” The photographer insisted, flapping his hand in the girl’s direction. “Now sit sit, let’s get this photo over with.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose looked near tears as she looked back at Caline, and she couldn’t bear to see the look in her eyes, the look that told her she’d failed. Some teacher she was, huh?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alix glared at the photographer over the railing as he spoke to the principal, wishing that her magic black cat powers gave her laser vision. After the photo Rose had rushed off to find Juleka, and the whole class had watched silently as the taller girl ran right through the front doors. Alix and Nathaniel had both spammed their little group chat in the hope that Juleka would confirm that she was okay, but she had no such luck. They were left on delivered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This is such bullshit!” Alya shouted, raising her leg to kick over the trash can. That didn’t work, however, as the damn thing was bolted to the floor, simply sending the reporter sprawling back a step. “No time my ass, the school was just being cheap with their money, I bet.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was no doubt there. Despite housing some of the richest children in all of Paris, the administration was rather stingy when it came to spending school funds. The lacrosse team didn’t even get buses to games or tournaments, they were just told to find a way there on their own. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nino watched Alya pace around, a concerned look on his face. “I know this sucks, but we all have to stay as collected as possible. I’m sure you remember what happens when we let our emotions get away from us now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ha, right, and there’s that, too!” Alya stopped in place in the middle of the little ring their small ground had made, throwing her hands up. “We can’t even be rightfully upset cause some stupid bald butterfly man is gonna turn us into monsters!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alya, please.” Marinette placed a hand on her best friend’s shoulder. “I know you’re upset, but you’re not helping Juleka by getting all worked up like this.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Right, poor Juleka, who probably off somewhere getting offered immense power to become some demonic version of herself. Alix thumbed at the ring around her finger. How long would it be until she was grappling with her friend? Would she be able to fight Juleka, knowing it was her, knowing what had been done to her?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe she’s with her brother?” Nino suggested, his tone filled with false hope. “He dropped her off this morning, maybe she’s talking with him now?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Adrien’s eyebrows drew together into that confused puppy look Alix had seen on him many times. “Juleka has a brother?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dude, didn’t you see the sick bike that dropped her off this morning?” Nino turned to the model, his jaw dropping as the blond shook his head ‘no’. “Dude, you should’ve seen it, her brother looks cool as hell.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alya slumped down beside Nino on the bench, head in her hands. “Why didn’t we do something? Why didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> do something? I just stood there, like some damn mannequin.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We can’t change what happened.” Rose sniffled, speaking for the first time since Juleka pushed past her. “When Juleka comes back, we have to be there for her. She thinks this is some sort of curse, that all her photos don’t turn out. We’ll have to prove to her that she isn’t cursed!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix had overheard the two girls mention something like that before. How odd it was, that Juleka had such awful luck. Could it actually be a curse, though? Hell, Alix had a stinky little destruction cat god eating cheese in her bag, a curse didn’t seem all that out there anymore.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their little solemn moment was interrupted by the sounds of screams ringing out from the floor below, where one of the other classes was getting their photo done. Well, they were. Now the students scrambled away as the goddamn ugliest clown Alix had ever seen strolled right in. Like, seriously, this thing looked like the kind of demon an uber religious church would make to scare their children into hating lesbians, based on the colours. Oh, and it was multiplying, of course it was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that, Juleka?” Marientte’s voice was just a breath, and with a start Alix realized she was right. Holy shit, the Lady Gaga clown was Juleka!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean, she doesn’t look that bad in pink.” Adrien mused, studying the akuma with all the calmness of someone who wasn’t witnessing a monster attack. “And she’s walking in those platforms like a pro.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nino stared at Adrien like he’d just stolen his hat right off of his head and eaten it. “Dude, are you complimenting the akuma?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before Adrien could answer, clown Juleka let out a boisterous cackle, grinning with all the madness of horror movie killer. “Never, never again will I be overlooked! I’ll be seen, the spotlight, the centre of attention from now on. You’ll see me, you’ll all see only me!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She pointed her wrist at the cameraman, turning him into a copy of herself. Okay, that was so not a vibe. Alix had no plans to join the circus anytime soon. She sprinted away from the bench, turning to find one of the classrooms empty, one of its widows open. Perfect, she had to transform quick before there were too many Juleka’s down below.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Plagg, wake up you lazy cat!” Alix shook her bag lightly, making sure the door was closed firmly behind her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The little god yawned, filling the room with his stinky cheese breath. “Where’s the fire, kitten?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We don’t have time for banter today Plagg, we gotta get a move on!” Alix tossed her bag aside, bringing her ringed hand up in front of her face. “Claws out!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The power flowed through her from the ring, her suit coming together piece by piece. She pulled her hood up and made a mad dash for the open window. She flew out legs first, bouncing up the side of the school by jumping between it and the building next door. On the roof, she crept over to the giant skylight, trying to guess which of those pink bitches was the one she wanted to drop down on. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There, one of them was shooting people, that was probably Juleka. Alix pulled out her staff, smashing it against the glass as she jumped down. The wind rushed by her as she fell, and Alix made sure to use her staff to slow her fall slightly. She wasn’t trying to break any bones out here, okay? She spun around her pole, smashing a heel into Juleka’s face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The akuma stumbled back, growling like a feral animal. SHe raised her wrist, firing a few shots in Alix’s direction. She tried to deflect as many with her staff as possible, but she flicked her wrist just wrong, and found herself enshrouded in a flash of light.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When her vision came back, The ground was much farther away than it should have been, and yep, she was a pink demon now. Great. Alix tried to take a step forward to catch up to where the real clown was, but unused to having such long legs combined with the ridiculous platform shoes, Alix wobbled like someone trying to skate for the first time. Okay, this might be a problem.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Kim, all transformed and ready to go, finally burst through the front doors of the school. It had taken him far too long to get out and transform without being seen. Or, you know, being turned into a creepy pink monstrosity. He’d never imagined he’d see Juleka in pink, let alone that much. It was quite the shock for him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Inside the school, it looked like the horror circus was in town. Most of the people had been turned into the pink creature, all cowering and covering their non transformed piers. Kim looked around for the main akuma or his partner, but all he saw was an identical sea of bright pink.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yo, Beetle Boy!” Wait, was that Noire’s voice? Was she there? He spun around looking for the little cat hero, but all he saw was more pink. “Bro, seriously, I’m right here!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His gaze stopped on one particular pink monster, waving at him lazily from across the courtyard. Wait, did Juleka already get his bro? This wouldn’t do at all! He wouldn’t stand for such an atrocity! “Noire, is that you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Duh, bro.” The clone that sounded like his bro rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. “What, don’t recognize my voice? Though you would’ve learned your lesson after that last double situation.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yeah, that was her alright. He walked over to her, finding himself looking at a collection of other Juleka look-alikes. “And uh, who’re these folks?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Some of her classmates, Rose, Adrien, and Mylene.” The pink cat explained, pointing to the clone as she said their real name. Kim knew he’d forget them as soon as he turned his back. “The akuma is in the library right now, so we’re waiting for her to come back so we can ambush her.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That didn’t sound like a half bad plan. “How will we know it’s her?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m bait!” Alya crawled out from behind the barricade of Juleka clones, waving her phone around as she turned to face him. “No need to fear everyone, Crimson Beetle is on the scene! Stay tuned, viewers, and you’ll get to see him in action, live!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim blinked, then waved at the camera. “Wait, bait? You’re going to use a civilian to lure her out?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I volunteered, actually.” Alya corrected, puffing out her chest. “I, feel bad for standing by while this happened, and besides, it’s painless. All I have to do is get Juleka to shoot at me so you and Chartreux Noire know which one is her!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well, it sounded like a well thought out plan, and with Alya being as enthusiastic as she was… Could he really object?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s returning!” A voice called out from the doors to the library, and Kim found himself shoved behind a wall of pink. With his vision obscured, all he could do was listen. Which, to be fair, wasn’t one of his strong points. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He could hear the footsteps as the akuma got closer, and the sound of the doors slamming open. Then, Alya spoke up. “Hey, Pinkie Pie, Lady Gaga is overrated! Listen to a good artist, why don’t you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a pause, then he heard Juleka’s voice, except it sounded more, emotive? No, crazy, it sounded crazy. “Brave words from the girl dating the Pitbull fan.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re working on that!” Alya snapped back. That was a pretty fair criticism, Nino did have some questionable tastes in music, always had. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then, Kim heard the sound of something firing. The pack of pink clones in front of him moved at once, and Kim caught sight of the real akuma. She turned to face him, and in a moment of pure instinct, Kim launched his yo-yo at her head. It hit true to her head, and with a garbled cry, Juleka fell.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That’s when things got weirder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The whole courtyard froze, all eyes trained on the fallen girl, her hair spread out around her. Yes, her hair, Juleka’s hair, only bright pink. The big pink headpiece had come off in the fall, clattering hollowly on the ground. Kim had honestly thought that it had been her hair, holy shit. It was a hat?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No one moved as the akuma sat up, rubbing at her head silently. Her eyes were blocked by a curtain of bubblegum hair, her expression hidden completely. She flicked her head up, using one hand to smooth her hair back out of her face as rage filled amber/red eyes landed on Kim. “Oh shit-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His curse was cut off by the akuma launching her own hat at his head, hitting him right between the eyes. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Juleka has some killer aim</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought absently as he stumbled back. Damn, what was that damn hat made of, a boulder?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The copies all rushed at her as he recovered, trying to overwhelm her. Akuma Juleka roared, sharpened teeth barred as she fought off the hoard of herself. She picked up one of them and threw her back at the others knocking back a whole section of them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You won’t take this away from me!” She bellowed, kicking one of the copies directly in the chest. Juleka locked her eyes on Kim once more, and then she was running right at him. “I will be seen!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Holy shit how is she running in those fucking shoes, holy fuck!” Kim cried as used his yo-yo to swing away from her swiping arms. She switched to firing those shots at him, which were much harder to dodge than Kim ever imagined. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juleka, eyes ablaze and hair wild, only seemed to get angrier with every shot she missed. And, damn, an angry Juleka was damn terrifying. “Stop running!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Beetle!” Noire called out to him from the downed pack of copies, shoving pink limbs out of her way as she crawled free. “Her mirror, we need to get it!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, right!” He made a quick landing on the upper floor calling for his lucky charm as he ducked under blasts. An old fashioned camera dropped into his hands, which, wicked cool, but how was that supposed to help him subdue the menacing goth that was making her way up the stairs towards him?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve got you now, you smug Beetle Bitch.” She growled, stalking towards him with a crazed grin on her face. From the corner of her mouth, a trail of blood was making its way down her chin. Kim had never been so terrified of the colour pink in his life. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim raised the camera and clicked one of the buttons, which caused it to release a bright flash of light. Juleka screeched, falling back and covering her eyes with her arms. This was his only chance, so he shot forward and ripped the mirror from her wrist, crushing it in his hands. Once he had the akuma purified, he threw the camera up with jelly arms. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Miraculous ladybug!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The whole class was gathered in the park, crowding around the bench. Rose had Juleka by the arm, keeping her seated beside her as the class blocked her view of the rest of the park. Alix glanced at the barricade briefly, returning her attention to the photographer she was busy, dealing with.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So you see, if you do this for us, not only will it help clear your conscience, but you’ll also get a good word in with the director of the Louvre.” Alix spoke in a low voice, hoping that Kim’s loud shouting was enough to keep their little surprise for Juleka a surprise. “I’d say that’s a pretty sweet deal for you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man just nodded, setting up his camera. Alix glanced in the direction of their school, letting some of the tension in her shoulders relax when she saw Chloe and Sabrina walking into the park with a thoroughly confused Ms Bustier. Everything was good to go.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She whistled the signal to the others, and they parted to let Juleka see what they’d gotten set up for her. Well, what Rose organized. Alix didn’t get how Juleka couldn’t see how Rose clearly loved her, when she was willing to go to every length to help break a curse that may or may not exist.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The second class photo went better than the first. Juleka was there, completely visible, and everyone looked as happy as they could be. When they saw how they came out, Rose squealed and threw herself at Juleka, who was standing there in shock. “It’s broken… The curse…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ms Bustier even asked if she could get a copy to frame on her desk, which was somehow a complete surprise and totally expected. Kinda. She clearly cared for their class, so her having their photo on her desk kinda made sense, in a way. Eh, it made Juleka smile a little more, so it was all good.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now all Alix had to worry about was casually recommending that photographer to her father...</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I wrote most of this in one sitting, I'm rather proud of that. Hope you liked this feral cotton candy clown! And, a bonus visit from a special older brother, what a treat.</p>
<p>I've been looking forward to this one for a while now, so I'm glad it's finally out there for y'all to enjoy. Up next will be another anticipated one, Pharaoh! Really feeling good about my plans for that one folks</p>
<p>Let me know how I did with this one! See y'all next time for Pharaoh!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Pharaoh</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Oh boy a class field trip to the Louvre to tour the new Pharaohs exhibit! There's no way this can go wrong! Right?</p>
<p>Right?</p>
<p>...right?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Alix had been having a pretty great week by the time the weekend was about to roll around. She’d found more coins on the ground on the way to school than she usually did, even enough to buy a whole ass drink from one of the vending machines she had to pass to get home. Plagg had moved past his little phase of chewing holes into everything she gave him to entertain himself while she was in class, and there hadn’t been an akuma in eight days.</p>
<p>She was in a great mood, so it only made sense for something to come around and knock her back down again.</p>
<p>Alix sunk lower in her seat on the bus, staring out the window into the standstill of Parisian traffic. She could faintly hear some German techno pop playing over the bus speakers, nearly drowned out by the chatter of her classmates. Any context to their words was flying right over her head, ignored in favour of willing fire to rain from the sky, or for the street to open up and swallow her whole. Anything to get their field trip cancelled.</p>
<p>Field trips were normally a wonderful thing. In Alix’s opinion, any chance to get out of the classroom should be taken and worshiped as the blessing it was. But there was a line in her mind, and this trip had launched over it like it had been shot from a canon.</p>
<p>There had been nothing but betrayal in her heart when Ms Bustier announced that their History trip would be taking them to the Louvre for an afternoon. Just her luck that they’d be taking a trip to the one museum where both her dad and brother worked while studying Ancient Egypt. It was like the stars had lined up perfectly just to spit on Alix and her great week.</p>
<p>Normally a trip to the Louvre wouldn’t be so bad. It was a pretty big museum, the chances of running into her relatives would typically be so slim that it was worth the risk. But her dad had coordinated the new exhibit himself, and Jalil was the leading expert on the new artifacts on the floor, at least within the museum staff. </p>
<p>There was no escaping Jalil and Alim Kubdel, that day of all days.</p>
<p>Another leading issue seemed to be that most of her friends didn’t understand why she was dreading the trip as much as she was. It seemed like only Juleka, Sabrina, and Marinette could sympathize with the fear of being embarrassed by family in front of the class. Again.</p>
<p>The haunting memories of Parents day still echoed in Alix’s mind, and she knew for a fact that this time history would repeat itself. If they thought Jalil talking about his scrolls that day had been a pain, just wait until he was standing right in front of them. <em> That </em> was a trip down into Dante’s inferno.</p>
<p>Their bus continued to inch its way towards the Louvre, slowly carrying Alix to her imminent doom. She used to wonder what death would feel like, but by the end of the day she’d know for sure. Death by her brother, who could have imagined that was how Alix was going to go?</p>
<p>Oh, the radio must have switched to playing American stuff, Nino was hollering in his seat. Alix took a break from begging the skies to open up to look over at her classmate, who was staring slack jawed at Adrien beside him. The model must not know the song, she assumed. Something like that was like admitting you have a gluten allergy to the Dupain-Cheng’s. </p>
<p>“Nino’s gonna school Adrien on American club music today, it seems.” Mylene noted, raising a hand to hide her soft giggle. </p>
<p>Ivan hummed in agreement, his fingers tapping out a silent drum beat on his knees. “Think he’ll do his Jason Derulo impression?”</p>
<p>Mylene clicked her tongue. “It’s pretty much guaranteed.”</p>
<p>Right on cue, Nino put one hand to his headphones, his other hand holding up a single finger by his face as he imitated the singer.</p>
<p>Ivan and Mylene laughed softly, smiling at each other all soft and shit. Ugh, Alix was not in the mood to stomach that level of sweetness. Back to the window it was, then. And no, Alix was not “heterophobic”, she thought the two were actually really good together. Just- she was feeling like the world was against her already and being reminded that she wouldn’t be able to have something like them would just make that worse.</p>
<p>It wasn’t even in a self deprecating way, either. Alix didn’t think of herself as unlovable, she just knew that her secret life as Paris’ superhero would make any romantic relationship a rocky road to traverse. She was only sixteen. She had all the time in the world to find the girl she’d spend her life with.</p>
<p>Alix shook her head. That rabbit hole of thought was never a good one to fall into. Ah, but was thinking about the trip really that much better? Maybe she was better off listening in on Nino’s spiel. </p>
<p>...or not, he was starting to get into the Pitbull talk. Adrien seemed to be the only one really listening as Nino went on, the others around them physically turning away to start up conversations to drown him out. She would feel bad, but Alix had tried to listen to the playlist Nino had sent her for her birthday and had given up when ‘Beauty and a Beat’ started playing.</p>
<p>The bus pulled to a stop once more, only this time the doors swung open at the front. Alix sank back down into her seat once more as Dr Alim Kubdel, the director of the museum himself, <em> her dad </em>, stepped onto the bus. Oh, this was going to be the worst field trip ever.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>This was the best field trip ever! Adrien had been to the Louvre plenty of times, but only for banquets or fundraisers. The last time had been nearly a year ago, yet he could clearly recall sliding across freshly waxed floors in sock feet with Alix, dress shoes clutched in their hands. He’d missed the girl in the months he had spent holed up at home after his mom…</p>
<p>The museum was much different during the day, filled with tourists and students rather than the city’s elite. Adrien liked it better this way, he decided. It felt more lively, brighter. Being surrounded by his friends may have tilted the scores dramatically.</p>
<p>Alix’s brother had taken over from Dr Kubdel when they first entered the museum, leading them down to the new Pharaoh exhibit. Jalil spoke rather quickly, and it almost seemed like the man didn’t pause long enough to even breathe. </p>
<p>“Psst, bro,” Nino stage whispered while they were stopped in front of the sarcophagus in the centre of the exhibit, “are you still following? I lost his word train like, two minutes ago.”</p>
<p>Adrien nodded, turning his head towards his friend slightly, keeping his eyes on their guide. “If you think this is fast, you should hear Nathalie read my father’s schedule out to him as he walks by her desk. World record speeds.”</p>
<p>“Bro, do you think you could get Nathalie to rap if you- mhm- ask nicely enough?” Nino faked a cough as Ms Bustier shot a look in their direction, both boys smiling back at their teacher innocently. “I wanna hear her take a crack at Rap God.”</p>
<p>Adrien fought down laughter at that. Oh, the mental image of Nathlie rattling off rap lyrics in the same tone she read from her timetable was golden. It was a real shame that he’d be more likely to become a superhero than to ever experience it.</p>
<p>Jalil led the class along the wall away from the sarcophagus, stopping before a scroll hung on the wall. “And right over here is our newest piece, a papyrus scroll from the times of the great Pharaoh Tutankhamun! Does anyone remember which dynasty he ruled in?”</p>
<p>Adrien had no clue, and it seemed like the rest of the class was in the same boat. They hadn’t reached Tutankhamun in their studies yet, so really it wasn’t their fault. Jalil hadn’t brought it up in his explanation of the Pharaoh either, so there was a possibility he’d just overlooked it in his excitement.</p>
<p>“Alix?” He called out to his sister. The whole class turned to look back at the short girl, who’d been trailing at the back of the class the entire time. If she was anyone else, Adrien would doubt her knowing the answer. “Tutankhamun, which dynasty?”</p>
<p>Alix scowled slightly, hunching her shoulders and turning to glare at the wall. “I didn’t raise my hand, ask someone else.” Ms Bustier cleared her throat lightly, and Alix tacked on one more word. “Please.”</p>
<p>“You know this, come on.” Jalil pushed, his smile faltering for the first time that day. Adrien glanced between the two siblings, feeling something uneasy settle in his stomach. “Alix-”</p>
<p>“End of the eighteenth, happy now?” Alix snapped. </p>
<p>Jalil paused, a moment of conflict on his face. After a mere few seconds he seemed to shake it off, launching back into his tour. “That’s correct, thank you Alix. Now, there have been many failed attempts to decipher this particular scroll, however I believe that I may have finally uncovered its secrets.”</p>
<p>The class ‘ooh’d, and Adrien spared one last look back at Alix. It wasn’t like her to reach her boiling point that fast, it worried him. </p>
<p>“From my time studying it, I learned that this papyrus holds Tutankhamun’s ritual to bring the dead back to life!” Jalil puffed out his chest, taking in the excited mutterings of the students. That bad feel of Adrien’s was back again. “You see-”</p>
<p>Before he could continue, the voice of Dr Kubdel overpowered him, cutting Jalil off quickly. “I would hope that you aren’t telling these young learners fairy tales, Jalil.”</p>
<p>“But that’s just it, dad, it’s not just a fairy tale!” Jalil exclaimed. One of his hands had shot up to grasp at the little amulet that rested against his chest. “The original ritual was interrupted, so there’s a chance it could actually work! If you’d just let me attempt-”</p>
<p>The director’s face grew stern, his voice harsh and firm. It reminded Adrien more of his own father’s voice than the soft Dr Kubdel he remembered. “That’s enough. I thought that you would be able to restrain yourself enough to lead this tour, but clearly I was wrong. Go fetch Patrick, he’ll be taking your place since you’re heading home for the day.”</p>
<p>The room was completely silent as Jalil reeled back in shock. The air felt heavy as he stormed out of the exhibit, eyes glassy with the beginnings of tears. Adrien was worried, not only about Jalil, but about all three Kubdels. All three had been acting so far from how Adrien remembered, and he couldn’t help but fear the worst. What could make them act so weirdly?</p>
<p>“I apologize for letting you all witness that.” The director offered a wobbly smile, very obviously looking as far from Alix as he could. “Jalil is rather, <em> passionate </em>, about his stories. Patrick, one of our other guides, will focus on the more grounded aspects of Ancient Egypt.”</p>
<p>Patrick never got the chance. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Kim was honestly impressed by the fact that he’d gotten far enough away to transform. The akuma had spread out those wonky time bubbles, and then the whole mummy ray thing started. The fan of comics in him was ecstatic, while the hero in him was dreading actually fighting that kind of shit. Did all heroes feel this way about villains with cool powers? </p>
<p>He had to backtrack through a lot of the museum, and luck would have it that there were direction signs all over. Yeah, he was ass at directions, this wasn’t new information. Not many people were left outside the bubbles and unmummied, Kim noted as he urged a pair of blond boys and the blonde girl with them to find somewhere to hide. He hoped that at least some of his classmates were fine.</p>
<p>He slid back into the Pharaohs exhibit quite literally, his feet sliding over the floor a little too easily. He narrowly avoided getting sucked into one of the big time bubbles, his hip smacking against one of the artifact pedestals. “Gah!”</p>
<p>“Crimson Beetle! Are you alright?” Damn it, someone saw that. Kim put on the biggest hero smile he could, and turned to the person who’d called out to him. Shit, it was Nino, and was that Alya’s phone? Hold up, was he filming?! </p>
<p>“Uh, I’m quite alright, citizen.” Ugh, now there was video evidence of him failing. There goes his image. “You need to get somewhere safe, but did you see where the akuma went?”</p>
<p>Nino sprang to his feet, a determined look on his face. “That big baddie got like, most of my friends, bro, I’m not backing down. Plus, he’s got my girlfriend as a hostage! You gotta let me help you out, man!”</p>
<p>Oh no, Kim couldn’t let Nino get in harm’s way! He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if something happened to Nino because he let him tag along. But, he did let Alya act as bait during the nightmare that had been Juleka’s akumatization… “You know what? Fine, you can tag along, but only if you agree to do as I say.”</p>
<p>“Yes Crimson Beetle sir!” Nino saluted him, smacking Alya’s phone against his forehead. “Whoops, sorry there, viewer dudes. You just heard them man himself, we’re going to rescue Alya!”</p>
<p>Oh fuck he was live, there was no chance that Kim could get him to delete the footage of his blunder. Guess his luck didn’t cover that sort of thing. Hopefully it hadn’t left him completely, cause he still had to deal with this akuma. “So, where’d this guy run off to?”</p>
<p>“I saw him take Alya back towards the museum entrance, I think he was going outside.” Nino explained, adjusting his cap as he trailed behind Kim. “Where’s Chartreux Noire? Aren’t you two bros?”</p>
<p>Oh, he did not just go there. To question the bro status of two bros? That was so not cool. “Of course we’re bros. She’s probably already waiting for me outside, she’s got better senses and all that.”</p>
<p>Kim paused before they could enter the lobby of the Louvre. The akuma probably expected him to be dumb enough to just walk right out, which, fair, he’d just been about to do that. A surefire way to get the drop on this akuma would be to be unpredictable, meaning that Kim actually had to think his actions through first.</p>
<p>“We’re going up to the roof.” That’s what Noire would do after all. Good for surprise attacks and all that, and being higher up would give them a good view of the whole area. Damn, when he tried he was pretty damn good at this thinking thing! “Do you know where the roof access is?”</p>
<p>Nino shook his head. Oh well, trial and error. No, that would take too long… There! A floor map of the museum! Thinking rules!</p>
<p>Understanding the map took a little longer than Kim expected, but in no time he and Nino were looking down on the akuma and his hoard of mummies. Right in the centre was the akuma himself, and yep, that was Alya thrown over his shoulder.</p>
<p>“Beetle!” A voice hissed out, just above a whisper. Kim nearly sighed in relief when he found his partner crouching at the edge of the roof, tail flicking as she waved him over. “Dude, what’s with the cameraman?”</p>
<p>“That bastard took my girlfriend.” Nino said firmly, ducking down beside Kim. He shifted Alya’s phone to catch both heroes in his shot. “I wanna help, and she’d kill me if I missed an opportunity to get this hero footage live.”</p>
<p>Noire narrowed her eyes, but she seemed to accept the fact that Nino was sticking around. “Let me catch you up to speed. Akuma’s a pissed off historian. He seems to believe he’s King Tut and he wants to sacrifice little Ms Alya to Ra to bring back Queen Nefertiti. Has different little powers based on the Ancient Egyptian gods.”</p>
<p>“Okay, sounds pretty standard.” No, it sounded epic, but Kim was trying to recover some of his hero rep with the fans. He didn’t need everyone knowing that Crimson Beetle was a total fanboy. </p>
<p>The cat hero scowled, rolling her dual coloured eyes. “Don’t get me started on how inaccurate this guy is. Egypt was monotheistic at the time of King Tut, he wouldn’t ask all these gods for their powers, which have basically nothing to do with each of them anyway. And he didn’t worship Ra either, who didn’t take Nefertiti cause she killed herself, not to mention she was his <em> step mom </em> - Just-” the hero took a deep breath, “-How can someone be this fucking inaccurate, what the <em> fuck </em>.”</p>
<p>Woah, who would’ve guessed Chartreux Noire was a history buff? “Okay, so Hawkmoth either knows nothing or this historian is really off his rocker.”</p>
<p>“My bet’s on Hawkmoth.” Nino piped up. Right, he had experience as an akuma. If Hawkmoth really was pulling the strings that much, that would explain how each akuma seemed so out of character. “Wait, this dude’s gonna sacrifice Alya? So not baller.”</p>
<p>Down below, the false Pharaoh was ordering his mummies around, looking at the papyrus scroll that was floating around him. Looks like they don’t have much time. “So, any plans on how to stop this ritual?”</p>
<p>The cat hero tilted her head, gloved hands tapping at the roof’s edge. Suddenly they stilled. “Hey Nino, how good is the speaker on that phone?”</p>
<p>“Uh, it can get pretty loud.” Where was she going with this? What could Alya’s phone possibly do?”</p>
<p>“Purr-fect.” Noire grinned, and she’d never looked more like a clever cat than she did in that moment. “We’re going to drown him out. He can’t say his magic words if he can’t focus on them. Nino?”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“As soon as he starts reading, blast a song that’ll <em> really </em> get stuck in his head.”</p>
<p>Oh no, this was going to be both amazing and awful.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Alya squirmed as hard as she could, fighting against the hold of the mummies. How come she had been chosen to be the sacrifice? Chloe had been right there, and she was a rich little princess, that sounded like perfect sacrifice material to her! </p>
<p>“The time is upon us.” The akuma boomed, his unmoving face turning to focus on Alya once more. “Nefertiti, my Queen, you will be returned to me at long last.”</p>
<p>He raised his hands, and panic quickly set in. If she didn’t get loose soon, Alya would be some god’s bride, and she was much too young to get married. Where the hell were Crimson Beetle and Chartreux Noire?!</p>
<p>The Pharaoh began to recite his spell, and Alya’s limbs started to feel sluggish. Her struggling slowed to a stop, and it started to feel like a chore to keep her eyes open. This was her end, huh? To think, she didn’t even get to say goodbye to…</p>
<p>“<b> <em>MAKE! SOME! NOISE!</em> </b>”</p>
<p>With a gasp, Alya’s energy returned to her. An all too familiar shout of excitement echoed throughout the courtyard of the museum, followed by the sound of an electronic saxophone. No, no, there was no way that she was being saved by-</p>
<p>“<b> <em>FORGET ABOUT YOUR BOYFRIEND AND MEET ME AT THE HOTEL ROOM!</em> </b>” Up on the roof on the left side of the courtyard, yep, that was Nino shouting along to Pitbull. The akuma seemed just as stunned as Alya at least, as he was also staring up at her boyfriend up on the roof.</p>
<p>The Pharaoh collected himself, and tried to start reading from his papyrus again. Somehow, the power of goddamn <em> Pitbull </em> was keeping him from being able to focus on his magic spell. If Alya got out of this alive she’d- no, rethinking her opinion on Nino’s music was going a little too far. She’d probably get him some new headphones or something.</p>
<p>“<b> <em>WE AT THE HOTEL, MOTEL, HOLIDAY INN!</em> </b>”</p>
<p>The akuma growled in frustration, turning back to face a roaring Nino on the roof once more. “My mummies, stop that-”</p>
<p>He was cut off again, this time by Crimson Beetle body slamming him to the pavement. The hero was cackling like a madman, only to be thrown from the akuma moments later. The Pharaoh let out a shout of rage, getting back to his feet to tower over the prone form of the ladybug hero. He raised his foot above his head, only to hesitate at the grin on the hero’s face.</p>
<p>“Cataclysm!” And there was Chartreux Noire, smacking feet first into the akuma’s chest, one clawed hand grabbing at the chain that held his medallion with crackling black energy. The chain deteriorated on the spot, the amulet falling to her partner on the ground before she flipped off of the akuma.</p>
<p>Crimson Beetle rolled away from the Pharaoh, going about as fast as one can when rolling, the panicked akuma scrambling after him. “No, no! You will not stop me, you can’t! I can bring her back, I <em> have to bring her back </em>!”</p>
<p>“Not today, dude.” The hero slammed the amulet into the ground, smashing it and releasing the akuma butterfly that was within. He made quick work of purifying it, then launched his yo-yo skyward. “Miraculous ladybug!”</p>
<p>“No no no!” The pharaoh shouted, reaching out uselessly for the hero. A wash of the ladybugs, and in his place stood Jalil Kubdel. The mummies behind Alya returned to themselves, and by some luck Marinette was one of the ones holding her in place. Jalil fell to his knees, fresh tears spilling down his face. “No… I nearly-”</p>
<p>“Jalil!” Dr Kubdel pushed his way through the crowd, the last notes of <em> Hotel Room Service </em> echoing through the courtyard. The man dropped to the ground beside his son, one tentative hand coming to rest on his shoulder. “Jalil, I’m so sorry, I never-”</p>
<p>“I just wanted…” The historian sniffled, the whole courtyard frozen around him. The two heroes had even stopped moving, watching from the edge of the group. “I- I just really wanted it to be real.”</p>
<p>The director started to rub his son’s back, and the whole moment started to feel a little too private for Alya and her whole class to witness. “It’s only human to want to believe in magic, Jalil. To want the beliefs of our ancestors to be true-”</p>
<p>“I just wanted her back.” Jalil sobbed, letting his head hang. His fists shook on the pavement, knuckles nearly white. “<em> I just wanted a chance to bring Mom back </em>!”</p>
<p>Alya saw the cat hero falter at the edge of her vision, before she was taking off. Alya managed to catch her muttering, before she was out of sight. “I… I need to go… I’ll see you next time.”</p>
<p>Back on the ground, the director was starting to get choked up now. Hell, even Alya was fighting off the sting of tears in her eyes. “Oh, Jalil…”</p>
<p>“Dad?” Another figure came bursting from the crowd, this one with much less grace. Alix pushed past Alya’s stunned form, her small frame trembling. “Jalil...?”</p>
<p>Dr Kubdel tried in vain to wipe the tears from his eyes, holding his other arm open for his daughter. The skater shot forward, the fractured family reunited once more. </p>
<p>A hand broke Alya from her trance, and she quietly let Ms Bustier guide her back into the museum with the rest of the class. Those three deserved a moment alone together, after all that had happened that day.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sabrina felt exhausted. Of course a peaceful field trip couldn’t be peaceful anymore in Paris. Honestly, it was probably her fault for letting her hopes get that high. She and Chloe had been quietly judging the outfits of the other museum patrons, which was somehow the most time they had spent together in the last month without mention of Chartreux Noire.</p>
<p>It was probably really petty of her to resent one of the heroes that kept the city safe, but Chloe’s little celebrity crush was getting old. Fast. It was always “Chartreux this,” and “Chartreux that” nowadays. Oh, and it was driving Sabrina <em> nuts </em>. She missed the days where they’d watch bad dramatic tv together, she even missed watching Chloe try on shoes sent by her mother that would inevitably not fit.</p>
<p>The class, or at least <em> most </em> of them, had returned back to the Pharaoh exhibit to wait for the Kubdels to finish their little moment. One of the workers had returned the artifacts while they waited, which had sparked a discussion over something Max had noticed on the scroll. Sabrina wasn’t paying too much attention, instead watching Chloe glance back towards the entrance once more.</p>
<p>“The implications of this! Just imagine them, you guys!” Alya insisted, still wrapped in the fire blanket she’d been given when they got back inside. Getting chosen as a sacrifice got you a fire blanket, yet being turned into a mummy servant got you a seat on the cold hard floor. How fitting.</p>
<p>“Alya, what you’re suggesting is simply <em> insane </em>.” Max shot back, pushing his glasses up his nose. “Do you honestly believe that the woman depicted on that some 3000 year old scroll is somehow Crimson Beetle?”</p>
<p>Rose huffed, curled up against Juleka’s side like always. “Is a trans hero so hard to believe in, Max?”</p>
<p>“<em> That clearly wasn’t what I was pointing out </em>-”</p>
<p>“Wait, who’s trans?” Kim piped up, elbow slipping off his knee to smash into the ground. </p>
<p>Alya snorted, rolling her eyes. “Come on, guys. They guy has a magic yo-yo and is best friends with a literal catgirl, I don’t think immortality is that far out of the realm of possibility.”</p>
<p>“Oh yes, because Crimson Beetle <em> clearly </em> has the dexterity and knowledge of a being that has been around for thousands of years.” Chloe threw her two cents in, leaning back against the wall behind them with her arms crossed. As much as the girl seemed to adore the cat hero, she couldn’t care less for her partner. “He seems like just another dumb kid to me.”</p>
<p>Kim still looked a little distressed. “Hold up, what was that about Beetle being trans? Where did that theory come from? Not that being trans isn’t like the coolest thing ever- but I don’t think he is?”</p>
<p>Oh, and that sparked another discussion Sabrina couldn’t care less about. Chloe shifted beside her, and the shorter girl glanced at her best friend in time to watch her expression shift to something Sabrina couldn’t, <em> wouldn’t </em>, recognize as Alix shuffled into the room.</p>
<p>The skater’s eyes were still rimmed red, still glassy. She sank to the floor, one hand clasped tightly around the chain around her neck. The chain she’d asked Chloe to hold on to at the race, Sabrina recalled. Chloe had been so protective of it, it had spawned something nasty in Sabrina’s gut. It was the same thing that twisted there now as she silently watched the two girls.</p>
<p>Her nose scrunched up in disgust. Sabrina turned away, focusing back in on the chaos of the rest of the class. After all, she was getting used to feeling like an outsider.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG HAHA</p>
<p>It's been a wild month since I've updated this, but wow Pharaoh is finally here! I'm hoping to get the next few chapters written and uploaded much closer together cause I'm getting wisdom teeth surgery later this month and I don't wish to subject you all to the disaster that is me writing on painkillers.</p>
<p>I've been looking forward to this one for a while now! Especially since I learned that Jalil's English VA also voices Edward Elric in FMA, which brought on the whole "bring back mom" idea. I also got to put down some work on the build up to some very anticipated future chapters, and I tried to drop a few hints towards some of the future heroes I have planned for this kwami swap. </p>
<p>I'm also not at all sorry for Nino's song choice. Hotel Room Service by Pitbull makes it impossible to focus, trust me lmao</p>
<p>So next up is Pixelator, which should be another wild jocks fun chapter :)</p>
<p>I have a tumblr! You can find me @symphonic-scream , and I post and answer questions about this au, my other fics, and Miraculous in general. There are some spoilers about my future plans for part of this fic, so if you'd rather leave it all as a surprise it's best to stay away. As always, let me know what you thought of this chapter, and see y'all next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Pixelator</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hey remember that Goosebumps book about the haunted camera? Has nothing to do with this. Jagged Stone is in Paris and Alix and Kim have to fight a fanboy that borders on stalkerism. Can two jocks handle one crazy photographer? We'll see.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“You shouldn’t use tackle.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ivan grumbled, not taking his eyes off of the system in his hands. “Shut up, Alix.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His shorter classmate stuck her tongue out at him, settling deeper into the throne of spare pillows that she’d built herself. “I’m just saying, you’re literally fighting Morty, a ghost type leader. It’s gonna do jack shit.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not all of us have the Pokemon type matchup chart memorized.” Ivan grit out, scowling as his Eevee’s tackle did not affect the Haunter he was fighting. It was a marvel that he made the same mistake every time he played Soul Silver. “How has no one figured out that you’re such a big dork yet?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix pulled out her phone, only to drop it onto her stomach a moment later. “I associate with Kim and don’t speak in class, duh.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That made enough sense to Ivan, he supposed. He looked back down at his DS, and switched his Eevee out for a Pokemon that could actually damage ghost types. It had taken him years to realize that Alix wasn’t just a girl Kim, an embarrassing fact that he vowed to never reveal. It had been by complete chance that he’d been handed one of her quizzes to grade, one where she’d scored a perfect.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That girl was at least as smart as Max, if not smarter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Does Max know you outscore him on every test?” Ivan continued to focus on his Pokemon game, using all his power to not look up at Alix. There wasn’t much space in the linen closet they’d holed up in, so looking away from his screen would result in looking at his companion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a brief pause before she answered. “He knows I do well. Not how well, though. Besides, he’s got me beat in math and science, and that’s what really matters.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mhm, until you win some big history or language arts award.” Shit, he hadn’t been paying enough attention and Morty used another stupid heal. “You’ll have to own up then.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix leaned back into her little pillow throne, picking up her phone once more. “Pfft, as if. I’ve perfected the balance between being cool and getting acceptable marks. I’m on top of it all, there’s nothing and no one that can ruin this year for me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Like a bad omen, Alix’s words seemed to enact instant karma. The door to the little storage closet they were camping out in swung open, the shadow of a figure cast over them. See, Ivan and Alix weren’t just hanging out in the closet for fun. Well, they kinda were, but they were also avoiding doing free physical labour for the Grand Paris while they were at it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait a minute, is this where you two have been all along?” Okay so the good news was that it wasn’t Ms Bustier that had found them. The bad news was that it was Sabrina. “I’ve been doing this whole floor on my own because I thought you two went upstairs or something, but you’ve just been goofing off in here?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh no, they were royally screwed now. Ivan flicked his DS shut, and shot Alix a nervous look. The girl tugged Sabrina into the closet with a quick pull on her wrist, shutting the door firmly behind her. “Hey, hey, keep your voice down. You know that the staff had already done the work they’re asking us to do, right? Or at least they’re still going to do it again after we leave. We’re totally saving the hotel money by just sitting here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ivan held his breath, Sabrina narrowed her eyes, Alix stared right back. “...I’m going to find Ms Bustier.” Well, there went their free day.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine, fine, we’ll start delivering the damn pillows or whatever.” Alix grumbled, vaulting to her feet. Ivan flicked open his DS to try to finish the battle as quickly as possible, whether that meant winning or losing to Morty. He hadn’t taken his friend’s advice in saving before the fight, and he was really regretting it now. He’d lose so much data if he had to delete it all now. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sabrina grabbed what she needed and left quickly,leaving Alix to clean up her little throne while Ivan struggled with his game. To say that he was glad that Mylene had been stationed elsewhere was an understatement. He wouldn’t want his girlfriend to see him struggle at anything, but somehow struggling with the fourth gym leader in a game he’s played again and again since he was a kid was on the same level as death in his mind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know what, pass it over, I can finish that for you.” Alix made grabby hands for his DS, which was handed over with a saddened frown. He watched her examine the game, slowly pressing at the buttons. “You have a shiny Mareep? Awe, and you named her after Mylene~”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ivan felt his face grow hot, trying to hide that fact from his lacrosse teammate by scanning the storage shelves. “She just reminded me of her…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, no judgement here. But you may wanna consider letting Mylene here evolve, Ampharos is one of the better ones you can get.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t long before Ivan’s system was being handed back to him, a new badge to his name and his game saved. Alix looked rather smug as she gathered a load of pillows, softly humming the gym battle theme. That was another strike against her ‘cool’ persona; the game had been on silent the whole time. She had the song memorized.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ivan grabbed a few pillows of his own, following his classmate to the elevator. Sabrina had mentioned covering that floor, so they were headed up as far as they were allowed. Avoiding pissing her off was their best bet, who knows what Ms Bustier would do to them if she heard they were slacking off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They walked down the hall, Ivan fishing the universal card they’d been given when their supervisor set them loose out of his pocket. It was probably not the best idea to let teens run wild with access to every room in the hotel. Hell, their little camp out in that storage room was evidence enough. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix smacked Ivan lightly with her pillow as she passed, and it was only fair that he return the favour. Just as expected, Alix swung at him again, both of them grinning. Ivan swung harder, Alix swinging back just as hard. For such a small girl, she packed quite a swing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They continued to duel as they moved into the room, and soon Ivan was throwing blow after blow at his friend, who’d lowered to the ground to try to save herself from his torment. He was about to deal the final blow when they were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Shit, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Ivan thought, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ms Bustier!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Kim was having a blast as a doorman. He wasn’t so much a fan of standing there all day like a big statue, but he was the only one in the class that had gotten to wear a hat, which made him feel very special. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man he was working with wasn’t very talkative, but that was probably because his job made him stand there all day like that. He’d shot down any attempt Kim made to talk that wasn’t just a question about his work. It sounded like a total bummer, and it really should have been. However, Kim had been taking note of every guest who passed by. He’d never seen so many celebrities and fancy folks in one place like this before!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>To prove his point, he’d just gotten to hold the door open for </span>
  <em>
    <span>the</span>
  </em>
  <span> Jagged Stone! Kim wasn’t a die hard fan, but practically everyone knew who he was. He’d been at the top of the charts since like, forever. As far as Kim was concerned, he should be allowed to do whatever he wants, forever.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The cherry on top? He had a freaking crocodile as a pet! How epic was that?! </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course, Kim did have to block out that photographer dude. He felt a little bad for the dude, he’d just wanted a photo after all. Oh well, what could he do? He was just Kim, he wasn’t Crimson Beetle in that moment. All he could do was what he was told.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He kinda lost track of what was going on after that. Marinette ran through the doors a few times, some woman said he was rather tall for ‘a Chinese’, and the stash of tips he was stashing in his pocket was slowly growing. It really wasn’t a terrible day!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He just had to jinx it, didn’t he?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Okay, he really should have known that the dude in the space alien suit was likely an akuma, and that no one just wanted pictures of doormen. There really was no excuse for getting caught like that, was there? So now there he was, trapped in an endless void of white with the silent doorman. What a wonderful place to be.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim could feel Tikki moving about under his hat, and knew he’d need to find a way to get out of that void. Would transforming work? It seemed like the easiest answer, but then again, that doorman was in there with him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked over at the man, only to find him still standing as if he was doing his job. Huh, as long as Kim was behind him and was quiet enough, he could probably pull it off. He took the little hat off his head, grinning down at his kwami as he whispered. “Hey, Tikki, spots on!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It shouldn’t have been a surprise that another out of class activity was ruined by an akuma, but Juleka had still been caught off guard when she was zapped up in the lobby. Being trapped in some akuma’s pocket dimension wasn’t on her plans for the day, but it did beat being forced to work without pay. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Being trapped wasn’t bad enough for her, apparently. No, the universe wouldn’t let her off that easy. On one hand, she was lucky enough that Rose was still with her. The constant reminder that Rose would never love her back was still there, but the comforting feeling of her arm wrapped around Juleka’s outweighed it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>On the other hand, they’d also been trapped with Chloe. Yay.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The blonde hadn’t said much after she’d given up on shouting for help, sitting silently on the ground while glaring at nothing. A very small part of Juleka felt kinda bad for her, but that part was a minority. The rest of her was mostly glad that she wasn’t complaining.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose gave Juleka’s arm a little squeeze, focusing the goth’s attention on her. They were sitting just a few metres from the heiress, and the smaller girl hadn’t let go of Juleka since they’d been zapped. It had her heart racing, and she had to consciously keep her face from growing too red.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you okay, Jules?” The shorter girl asked, looking up at her with concern clear in her eyes. That was Rose for you, always worrying about everyone else around her first. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juleka smiled softly, and she knew that if Alix or Nathaniel were watching her they’d accuse her of being a massive simp. “I’m good, but are you okay? Not scared, are you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chloe’s exaggerated fake gagging stopped Rose from responding. Juleka glared at the heiress, who turned her head to scowl elsewhere. “Is there something wrong, Chloe?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The blonde mumbled, and all that Juleka could catch was something that sounded like ‘bitches gay’. She was probably wrong. “Being scared is completely ridiculous. Obviously Chartreux Noire is going to save the day.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And Crimson Beetle!” Rose added, nodded with a smile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bah,” Chloe rolled her eyes, “I don’t care for the big idiot. He’d be completely lost without her. Like, seriously, she comes up with like, </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span> their plans. He doesn’t deserve to have a partner like her.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hmm, something about Chloe’s tone resonated in Juleka’s head. She was missing something in there, there was some kind of hidden message whether CHloe knew it or not. Juleka would discover it. “You’re a big Chartreux fan?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, duh?” Chloe eyed Juleka, looking at her as if she’d just asked if the sun was made out of molten cheese. Or she was Kim. “Anyone with a brain can see that she’s the best hero ever. Anyone who says she’s the sidekick to that big red clown is obviously the real clown.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose shifted slightly, propping her head up against Juleka’s shoulder. “Crimson Beetle doesn’t deserve any hate, though! He’s done really well!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please, he hasn’t redeemed himself for how he treated her in the beginning. That statue? He’s all tall and proud in the centre and she was posed like an animal companion! Everyone else may have forgotten about what he did, but I can’t. She deserves so much better than him. Someone who will treat her right.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh, it was starting to click for Juleka. Hot damn, whether Chloe knew it or not, she clearly had some strong feelings for the cat hero. Strong </span>
  <em>
    <span>sapphic</span>
  </em>
  <span> feelings. Holy fuck, Chloe Bourgeois liked women! Or, at least one woman. Juleka knew that she’d sensed some vibes from her at some point.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What could she even do with this information? This wasn’t the kind of thing that could be used for playful blackmail, and there was always the chance that Chloe didn’t know yet and would go on the attack if Juleka brought it up. They weren’t exactly friends, and Juleka didn’t want to invoke her wrath. The most she could get away with would be getting photos of the cat hero and sharing them with the class, Chloe included. Bummer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juleka stifled a yawn, carefully letting her head rest on Rose’s. If she could tune out the conversation going on around her, then maybe she could get some rest. It was turning out to be a rather tiring day.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jagged Stone was not one to be pushed around. He didn’t get to where he was in life by listening to everything that everyone told him! The only person he usually obeyed was Penny, and that was because he’d learned that she knew what was best for him sometimes before even he did. Anyone other than Penny? Well, if they asked him not to jump off a cliff, there would be a seventy percent chance of him doing it out of spite.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So no, he did not stay at the Louvre when the little cat girl asked him to.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So what if she was a superhero? He was Jagged Stone, and Jagged Stone was not going to sit around and wait in a museum for someone else to save his ass. He didn’t quite know his way around Paris, but when he got close enough to the fight he could hear it well enough to follow the sounds of shouting. If that Tron rip off wanted Jagged Stone, that’s just who he’ll get.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He could see the commotion when he turned down another street, and took a second to watch the supposed villain shoot weird lazers at the little girl and some loud dude in red. Climbing up on a car would ensure that he was seen, so up he went. “Hey! You with the dumb helmet! I came, just like you asked!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All three of the fighters turned to look at Jagged after his announcement. The villain’s face broke out into a grin as he did a little clap. “Oh, goody, you came right to me!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why the fuck did you not stay put?!” The girl shouted, pointing at him from down the road. “You were supposed to stay somewhere safe!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>How could she not see the very obvious answer? “It was boring.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The hero looked like she wanted to argue, but she didn’t manage to say anything else. The red dude just looked genuinely confused. The villain man took his chance to speak again. “Mr Stone, all I ask for is one picture. Will you smile for my camera?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hm, just one picture? Why would you waste your one photo with one of me just smiling?” Clearly this man didn’t have his priorities straight. That was the lamest photo he could possibly ask for. “C’mon, think of something clever! You got one shot, better make it worth your while and all that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man blinked. “Worth my, while?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Choose a better pose, damnit!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The villain stopped to think it over, and Jagged nearly rolled his eyes with how long he was taking. Young people these days just had no creativity at all. Behind the man, the two heroes were making their approach. The red one jumped onto the photo man from behind, and the girl was using some sort of stick to swing at his legs. Guess he wasn’t getting his photo taken after all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mr Jagged, sir!” His attention was brought over to where a woman and a man with a camera were hiding out behind a tipped bus. Ooh, a reporter! Jagged supposed getting a spontaneous interview was close enough to getting his photo taken. “Would you mind discussing this akuma attack with me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh, so the villain was called an akuma. That was a lame name. Whoever came up with it should be ashamed of themself. Jagged hopped off the car, wiping his hands on his pants as he got behind the bus. “Sure thing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Great!” The woman perked up, nodding at her cameraman. “The akuma attack today still wages on, and the man at the centre of it all, rock star Jagged Stone, has agreed to answer some questions. How are you doing, Jagged?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ah, they were starting with the boring questions. What a chore. “My schedule for preparing for my concert this evening was disrupted, so I’m doing wonderfully.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So you’re not bothered by the akuma attack going on behind you?” The reporter seemed genuinely confused. What was there to not understand? He had a pet crocodile and toured the globe, in comparison this was like a children’s birthday party. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not really. Nothing really impressive about this at all.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The reporter winced as she bus shook, a sudden increase in the angry shouting from the other side no doubt interfering with the recording. “So you’re not even phased that a supervillain has made dozens of Parisians disappear?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just sounds like some fancy magic trick to me.” There was more shouting, another thud, and a girlish scream. Jagged glanced around the side of the bus, catching a glimpse of the cat girl knocking the akuma off his feat, the boy in red peeling himself out of an indent in a car. “Those teenagers got it covered anyhow.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The reporter took a chance to look at the fight, gasping. “The akuma just threw Chartreux Noire through a window!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’ll be fine.” Jagged had jumped through many windows for his music videos, and he survived. He did all his stunts himself, of course. That was the rock and roll thing to do. “Will this take much longer? I do have a concert to prepare for.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woman shrugged, still focused on the street behind him. “Some fights are longer than others. Ooh, and Crimson Beetle has smacked his face into a wall trying to dodge the akuma’s blast. And he’s calling his lucky charm! Looks like we’re nearly done here, folks.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The little interview continued from there, ending as some weird wave of bugs flew by, returning the city to normal in their wake. The reporter went off to try to catch a word with the two heroes, which was Jagged’s sign to return to his hotel. Somehow. Hopefully Penny wouldn’t be too mad.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alya was exhausted by the end of the day. It felt like she hadn’t gotten a moment to catch her breath all day, from working in the hotel to the akuma attack, to the concert she’d just arrived home from. She collapsed on her bed, forcing the stress out of her body with one long sigh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She had gotten some great footage for her blog, and got to spend time with her boyfriend and their best friends. She and Nino had been subtly pushing Adrien and Marinette together all night, and dealing with their whole situation had left both of them drained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The twins were thankfully asleep when she arrived home. They were in some little phase where they had been spouting facts about animals constantly. If Alya had to hear more about spider monkeys or horseshoe crabs or fainting goats she feared she’d explode.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She’d had to mute most of the notifications from the Beetle Blog after the attack that afternoon. It was both exciting and terrifying. Alya wasn’t sure if she would be able to keep up with its growth with just her and Marinette monitoring it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alya yawned, her jaw clicking painfully. She needed some sleep. She’d have to talk to Marinette soon about bringing on more members to the blog staff. Poor girl was already so busy, less work for the blog would probably help with her awful sleep schedule. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Speaking of sleep, Alya didn’t want to get caught sleeping in jeans by her mom again. It took all the effort she had left in her to get off her bed and properly get ready. She sent goodnight texts to Nino and Marinette, no doubt riddled with spelling errors, before putting her phone to charge. By the time she stumbled back to her bed, it was a struggle to keep her eyes open. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her dreams that night featured Crimson and Chartreux again, faint rock music playing as they took Hawk Moth down.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Finally it's done. Took longer than I wanted but oh well, it's here now. Dark Blade is next, which is going to be more fun than this one, I hope. </p>
<p>Let me know what you thought of this chapter! We're nearing the final stretch of season 1, oh boy! I'm very excited for some of the upcoming episodes :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Darkblade</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Time for elections, woo hoo. A sore loser tries to storm the Capital, and Alix and Kim gotta deal with that while also dealing with class election drama. Huh? No, this is fictional, no- It's France, and this isn't- no this isn't based on America hush-</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I am not American</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Nathaniel squinted down at his sketchbook, pausing to evaluate the expression of the character he was drawing. He was taking a break from working on his hero comic to work on drawing emotions, and it was pretty damn frustrating. With an annoyed huff, he erased the face once more. Something wasn’t working just the way it should, but he couldn’t figure out what. It was driving him mad.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dupont had an art club now. That was new. Rose had spied the poster hanging in the locker room a week before with Juleka, who told Nathaniel and Alix. The three of them had gone to the first meeting together with Marinette, and liked it enough to agree to make it a thing. Having time to just let loose in an artistic fashion with his friends was probably Nathaniel’s favourite part of his week, now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you’re gonna huff and puff, can you do it where I can’t hear you?” Alix had the mask she wore while painting resting around her neck as she glared at him across the room. “I’m doing some precision work here, and it’s hard enough to focus when there isn’t a steam engine in the room.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nathaniel felt a little wave of heat crawling up his neck, and fought it off as he rolled his eyes. “I don’t even know how you can hear me over the election planning going on.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d raised his voice just enough to ensure that Juleka had heard him. His taller friend didn’t turn to him as she flipped him off under the table, just out of Rose’s sight. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Class elections were running that week, and it had been a surprise announcement, forgotten in the cluttered noise that life in Paris had become. An even bigger surprise was learning that </span>
  <em>
    <span>Juleka</span>
  </em>
  <span>, of all people, had volunteered for class representative. No offense to Juleka, of course, but she didn’t come across as someone who would willingly search out opportunities to be in the spotlight like that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nathaniel actually remembered the first time he heard the other girl speak to him rather clearly. It had been just the year before, even though they had been classmates for a few years at that point. She’d asked him for a pen during a trip to the zoo, her own in Rose’s hand. It had shocked him into silence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix chuffed out a little laugh, eyeing Juleka and Rose. “That’s different entirely, Nath. I’m used to talking, I’m not used to painting with Puff the Magic Dragon in the room.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, are we being too loud?” Rose leaned around Juleka, glancing between the two of them in concern. They were the only ones in the room aside from the art teacher himself. Marinette was busy planning her own speech with Alya, and no one else had turned up to join the art club. “We can go outside if it’s too distracting!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix waved her off. “No no, y’all are good. I’m just bothering the tomato head here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He deserves it.” Juleka nodded, flashing a sly smile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah yeah, whatever.” Nathaniel pushed his sketchbook away from him ever so slightly. He could use a break from his practice work. “How’s your speech planning going, Juleka? What are your campaign promises?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The goth fully turned around in her seat. As she spoke, her hands seemed to fidget around her. “You know, like- you know,”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She wants to ask for a school wide extension on assignments when there are akuma attacks.” Rose clarified, beaming at the taller girl like she hung the stars in the sky, or something just as cheesy. The fact that despite how they both looked at the other they weren’t together was a testament to how blind Juleka was to how the blonde felt about her. The real question was whether Rose knew about Juleka’s feelings. “And a campaign for mental health awareness to help lower the number of akumatizations.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh damn, yeah, those were some good platforms. Nathaniel didn’t know what he had been expecting from Juleka, but it wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Juleka actually had a great shot of winning, and doing a good job as their representative, if she could express all that tomorrow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I, personally, am all for letting Juleka become our class overlord.” Alix grinned, tossing a paint can around. She too had abandoned whatever art she had been working on before, now sitting on a flipped bucket. “You can do whatever you want forever, actually.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The goth got real flustered real fast. She tried to hide herself behind her hair, her shoulders rising. Rose placed a careful hand on her shoulder, trying to lean around to catch her line of sight. “See? I told you your idea was great!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, like- fuck, Juleka.” Nathaniel was struggling to get his words together. Laying the praise on too thick would just fluster Juleka too much, but he still wanted to express just how much he liked her ideas. “Those are amazing, seriously.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juleka and Rose shared a quiet moment, seemingly speaking without saying a word like they always have. What they had was like the ultimate dream, having someone understand you so well that they would know what you’re thinking from your body language and the look in your eyes. And yet they couldn’t see how much they loved each other. God, that sounded like the synopsis for the most frustrating romantic drama series ever.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juleka smiled softly at Rose, her visible eye so filled with love that it might as well have been a giant cartoon heart. She turned to glance at Nathaniel and Alix, her smile shifting to look less solid, less sure. “Thanks, guys. It means- thank you. So much.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve got this in the bag, Jules.” Nathaniel nodded, and he could really see it. He could see Juleka with Rose by her side, trying to do right by their class. A position like that might also help with her confidence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix hummed in agreement, finally setting her spray can down. “Yeah, you’re gonna blow the others out of the water. I’d like to see Kim try to come up with something half as great as you did.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay so- hear me out- we should be able to challenge a teacher that gives us a bad mark.” Kim explained carefully, his hands neatly clasped on top of the table. “So if I fail a science test I should be able to challenge Ms Mendeleiev to a push up contest. If I win, she changes my mark.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Max blinked back at him, completely silent for a moment. The shorter boy then buried his face in his hands. “We’re fucked.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know, Alix,” Nathaniel took on a teasing tone, “Kim might just be the greatest mind of our generation.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The pink haired girl burst into laughter, clutching her gut as she fell off her bucket. Juleka giggled along, trying to fight the amusement creeping into her expression. “If Kim is the greatest mind of our generation, then I love men.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Juleka!” Rose tried to appear scandalized, but she clearly found the joke funny. Her shoulders shook with silent laughter as she forced an exaggerated frown, arms crossed over her chest. “That’s mean. You have to leave him some dignity.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix laughed harder, nearly in tears as she wheezed on the ground. “Stop- stop it, I can’t-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Juleka, look what you’ve done.” Nathaniel shook his head. “Just the idea of you being straight has killed Alix. Our new overlord has taken her first victim.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alix remained on the ground for the remainder of the club hour.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Adrien cherished every chance that he got to hang out with his friends outside of school. Convincing his father or Nathalie to let him spend time with Nino, Alya, and Marinette was an uphill battle, and every victory on his part was outweighed by twelve losses. That fact alone was exciting, a clear improvement from the twenty it had been just last month.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He suspected that the only reason he was allowed out that afternoon was because the event was hosted by the Mayor himself, but Adrien didn’t really care. If it got him a chance to feel like a normal teen, he’d take it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dude, I can’t believe that we get to meet Jagged Stone </span>
  <em>
    <span>again</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Nino exclaimed, throwing his arms about as he spoke. His energy was always so high and so refreshing. After dealing with stiff people with monotone voices for hours on end, Nino’s flair really hit the spot. Like a nice juice. “Getting to attend his concert was epic as hell, but a meet and greet? This is just beyond killer.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Adrien nodded along as his bro spoke, enjoying the chance to walk without his dad’s assistant or his own bodyguard breathing down his neck. He loved Nathalie and the Gorilla, but the suffocation was so not poggers. Nino had taught him that word earlier that week. He was rather fond of it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were on their way to meet the girls so they could head over to Chloe’s little campaign party together. Adrien had already decided that he’d base his vote on the content of the speeches in class the next day. He didn’t want to have to think about choosing between his new friends and the girl that was basically his sister. The thought alone made him shutter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d been quite shocked when he first found out about Chloe’s school persona. Hearing about all the things she had done to her classmates, the things she had said, it had been awful. The deal she and Alix had struck up had been particularly disturbing. All these years he’d thought the three of them were good friends, only to learn that was a trick. The girl in those stories he heard didn’t sound like the Chloe Bourgeois he knew.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She sounded like her mother.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was getting better, though! Adrien felt very proud of her and all the work Chloe was putting into being better, being more like the Chloe he knew she really was. It was slow work, and there were slips, but she was really trying. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That’s how Adrien knew the campaign party was most likely uncle Andre’s idea. He’d just won his own reelection, and the man was always doing everything in his power to give Chloe more than she could ever need. It was totally in his wheelhouse to invite an international rock star to try to get his little girl an advantage.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“-I mean he’s no Mr Worldwide, but he’s toured like everywhere, bro.” Adrien tuned back into Nino’s little rant, smiling at the brief mention of the other boy’s favourite musician. “Yo, do you think he’s met Pitbull? How banging would it be if they collabed?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh, just imagining that song made Adrien sure that the combination would kill Nino. “Hella banging, bro.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nino threw an arm around his shoulders, cheering loudly. They laughed as they swayed, waiting at the edge of a crosswalk. Nino was about to say more, before he looked across the street. “Oh, hey, it’s the gals! C’mon, bro, I wanna hear how their planning session went!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Juleka usually struggled to feel any sort of pride in herself. She was surrounded by all these phenomenal people, who she could never dream of competing with. She was no one special, hell, she was looked over so often she might as well be just another background character.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However, she could confidently say she was the best sister in the world. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She hadn’t originally planned on going to Chloe’s little party, believing that all it would do was sike her out for her speech the next day. Talking in front of the whole class like that, in the spotlight, was going to be hard enough on its own without the knowledge that one of her competitors had been using her status to sway their classmates in her favour.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her mind had been set, until she walked into the room she shared with her brother. Luka had to be Jagged Stone’s biggest fan. He knew the chords and lyrics to every one of his songs, collected his albums religiously, and bought every shirt with any relation to the rockstar that he found at the thrift shop they frequented. Luka’s first words had been Jagged lyrics, no one could compete.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luka did so much for her, and Juleka always felt like she didn’t properly express how grateful she was. Giving him a chance to finally meet the man he idolized for so long was the least she could do. She could handle being bombarded with the reminder of her classmate’s lifestyle for Luka.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Will you tell me where we’re going, Ju?” Her brother asked again, shifting the bag she’d thrown together on his back. She couldn’t fit all his Jagged gear without ruining the surprise, but he had a good stack to get signed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juleka tapped at her chin, pretending to think it over. Sure, she was doing something nice for her brother, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t be a little shit about it. “Hmmm, I could. But there’s no fun in that, Lu.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luka narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously, and she knew that he was trying to piece something together using his whole song-aura thing. Not that he would get anything. Juleka was using every ounce of focus in her being to keep from spoiling the whole thing. It would all be worth it when she got to see the look on his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Rose mentioned something about an election when she dropped you off.” Luka spoke quietly, clicking his tongue twice as they turned right. “She sounded really proud of you. More than usual, of course.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juleka smiled softly, her traitor heart giving a little trill just from hearing her name. Luka was the first person she’d told about her feelings for her best friend, the first she’d come out to as well. He was her biggest supporter, and he’d been trying to help her work up the nerve to confess to Rose.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s just you saying things,” Juleka nudged their shoulders together. “Sometimes I think that you use your song thing as a fall for a lot more than you really hear.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luka smiled ominously, over exaggerating his shrug. “You’ll never know, and I will never say. Life’s greatest mystery.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, the deepest mystery; is my brother actually reading minds through music mind waves or has this been the longest prank ever.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, no-” Luka was fighting down a laugh, “-it’s a </span>
  <em>
    <span>social experiment</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Juleka, get it right.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The siblings laughed as they made another turn, putting them on the street that would lead them to their destination; City Hall. It was a building that the Couffaine’s tended to ignore, their Ma only going to pay any fines that she managed to get and the like. There was one time when both of them were very young, but Juleka couldn’t remember much of it, only that Ma took them to a nice restaurant after, which was very rare. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luka slowed at her side, eyeing the building uneasily. “Ju, where are we going?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on, Luka, you’ll love it.” He’d know that already if he just followed her lead, but apparently he wasn’t feeling very trusting. “It’s nothing bad, I promise.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a sigh, her brother started following her up the steps, his eyes wary. “If you somehow found a way to sell me to One Direction or something I will never forgive you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You wish.” Juleka pulled open the door, and grinned to herself. Her classmates were partially strewn around the lobby, a small line leading to the table with the special quest all set up. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh yeah, best sister ever</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “Ah, we’re here. Line time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luka froze in the doorway behind her. “Jules… Jules is that-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mhm.” Oh, it was just how she imagined it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His eyes darted between her and the man at the table, looking like a fish gasping out of water. “-that’s Jagged Stone. Juleka, that’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>Jagged Stone</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure is.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You- wait, I don’t have any of my things for him to sign, I need to go back-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Check the bag.” Juleka couldn’t fight her grin anymore, this was too great.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luka swung it around, pulling it open to reveal a large selection of his Jagged gear. He looked back up at her, eyes wide, practically shaking on the spot. “I love you. You’re the greatest.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank me later, dork, get in line. You don’t wanna miss him.” Her brother dashed off without another word. With that taken care of, Juleka wandered off to talk to some of her classmates.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose waved her over to her little group, consisting of Nino, Alya, and Nathaniel. “Jules! I’m so glad you changed your mind and decided to come!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juleka fought off the heat that threatened to rise up to her face, mentally chanting the reminder that Rose only liked her as a friend. “Y-yeah, me too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who was </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> with you?” Alya asked, staring behind her where she could only assume Luka was. “And why is this the first time I’m seeing him?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nino, who was also staring, placed a hand on his girlfriend’s shoulder. “Right? I’d telling you, Juleka, the </span>
  <em>
    <span>genes</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The goth rolled her eyes. “Whatever you say. That’s my older brother Luka. He’s a pretty big Jagged fan, so I thought he’d wanna come meet him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hot </span>
  <em>
    <span>damn</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Juleka.” Alya whistled, placing one of her own hands on Nino’s shoulder. “Babe, I’m sorry I doubted you, you were absolutely right. Juleka’s brother is fine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You told her my brother is hot?” Oh, this was not something Juleka was ever prepared to handle. Luka wasn’t hot, no, her brother was a total dork! No one should ever look at him and see anything but the total nerd he was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nathaniel nodded sagely, smiling at her sadly. No, no, not him too. Her brother wasn’t hot! There was no secret attractive Couffaine gene! Had she somehow stumbled into the Twilight zone? “Juleka, I’m so sorry I’m saying this, but he’s right. Your brother is very attractive.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Okay, so Nathaniel was dead to her. Not a terrible loss. “Rose, Rose please say something, please tell them about how much of a dorkus Luka is.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, he is a bit of a dork.” Rose giggled, rubbing soft circles into Juleka’s back. At least she still had Rose, there was one plus.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alya shook her head, looking at Juleka like she was insane. “Girl, y’all won the genetic lottery. Marinette would agree with me- wait, where is she? Mari needs to see this dude.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Speaking of, where did Adrien go?” Nino started looking around too, and a weight was lifted from Juleka with the subject change. “My bro cannot be missing out on this, he needs to see this too!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bless whatever being had gotten Adrien and Marinette to slip away before being able to see Luka. Juleka didn’t know how much more she could take, but hearing those two thirsting over her brother as well would definitely be more than enough to kill her. On the spot, at that. Rip Juleka, death by listening to her friends talk about how attracted they are to her brother.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Like everything that happened lately in his life, the little party his class was attending was interrupted by an akuma attack. If you asked Kim, he was starting to suspect that maybe Hawkmoth knew that Crimson Beetle was in their class. But that didn’t make any sense, no, he was so good at keeping his identity a secret! He only transformed in the most hidden of places. For example, he’d just transformed in a broom closet in City Hall. You don’t get any more secret than that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A swarm of black nights marched through the building, his classmates either getting turned themselves or doing the smart thing and running off to hide. Kim made his way outside through one of the windows that had been left open, trying to scramble his way up the side with his yo-yo. He’d heard something about the roof, and so of course that’s where he was going. After his experience in the Louvre, wasting time reading a map to find a way to the roof when there was a perfectly good window right there seemed like a dumb idea.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim collapsed onto the roof, giving himself a moment to lay on his back and catch his breath after the struggle he just dealt with. They should design buildings so it’s easier to climb up them, like in video games. All architects should base their buildings based on Assassin’s Creed mechanics or something. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>From his position on the roof, Kim watched a pair of high top sneakers land silently across from him. As the owner of the shoes approached, he could catch glimpses of what looked like a cat’s toe beans printed on the bottom. The figure knelt down in front of him, lowering until her grinning face and mix matched eyes were in his sight. “Good morning, sleeping beauty. Feeling up to fight all the king’s men?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just,” Kim wheezed, “give me a moment.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Noire chuffed out a little laugh, dropping into a sit, clawed fingers drumming against her sneakers. The bright green laces of the charcoal sneakers caught his eye. The left shoe was laced up normally, that crisscross style that was the default. The right, however, was done in some funky pattern. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why’re you staring at my feet?” His partner narrowed her eyes down at him, tucking her feet closer to herself. “I’m pretty sure you promised me that you’re not a creep.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What? Oh god no- “No! No no, nothing like that, jesus. Just, your shoes. They’re laced really cool, what’s that right pattern called?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The cat hero blinked, looking down at her shoes. She blinked at her laces, as if she was also noticing for the first time that they were done up weirdly. “Huh, would you look at that. I think that’s a Zipper lace.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sick.” Kim grunted as he finally sat up, loud pops sounding as he stretched. What were they doing again? Oh, right, there was an akuma. “So, are you any good at sword fighting?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chartreux pulled her staff off her belt, giving it a few test swings. “I’ve never tried, but it’s just hitting people in medieval font. How hard can that really be?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“True.” Oh, there were the knights. What a coincidence that they were only spilling out onto the roof now and not while they were lounging around. Kim was quite lucky, he guessed. “Well, let’s see how right you were. Go, defend me, my cat knight!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When I called you sleeping beauty, I wasn’t calling you royalty.” Noire jumped to her feet, pulling her hood over her head as her tail flicked around in excitement behind her. Kim could see a warped view of her expression in the reflection of the knights’ armour, her eyes wild and her grin sharp. The minion knights faltered slightly when they saw her, none approaching her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you doing? Just get her!” The main knight, most likely the akuma, exclaimed. He pushed his way to the front, being pretty rough with each of his minions. “Look at how tiny she is, seriously, you could probably step on her!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Damn, he was really coming for her height. That was a low blow. Chartreux let out a low growl, bending her knees and lowering her stance more. “Hey, fuckhead, I’m not even that short!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Silence, peasant.” The akuma waved her off, turning back to his little army. “One of you handle the little rat, we have better things to do.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh, that was very obviously the wrong thing to say. One of the knights started towards the cat hero, who sprang forwards, pole extended. In one movement, she slid under her opponent’s strike, her pole extending just as she swung it back, smacking the minion right in the back of their head. The knight crumbled into a heap, the cat hero blowing fake steam off of her staff.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Holy shit, that was so fucking dope. That was so fucking epic. Kim felt like he was watching an epic movie fight or something, cause that felt unreal. God damn.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The akuma paused, but Kim couldn’t tell what he was thinking or doing, really, with all that armour blocking his face. With nothing to go off of, he just imagined the enemy pouting like a toddler. It made the whole thing much funnier. “Huh, how about that. Okay, two of you, stop the rodent.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This time two knights stepped forward, although they appeared much less willing. Noire jumped at the first, landing on its chest as she used her staff to push the other right off of City hall. She flipped over the knight until she was braced against its back. The knight spun to try to grab at her, and once it was less steady on its feet, the cat hero pushed off, the force of her jump sending this knight over the edge of the building as well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It went like that for a while. The akuma would send a few of his minions after her while trying to complete whatever his goal was, and Chartreux would dismiss them in the coolest way possible. Kim had summoned his lucky charm, luckily getting popcorn to munch on while watching it, so he didn’t even mind sitting this one out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eventually, all that was left was the main akuma and the two heroes, passed out minions scattering the ground between them. Chartreux stood in the middle of it all, her hood still on her head despite all the fighting she’d done. She pointed her staff at the akuma himself, expression wild from the rush. “You underestimated me, assface, and that was your first mistake.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Paris has fallen far, if its people are so incompetant.” The akuma set his flag aside, leaning against one part of the roof. He took out his own sword, and began approaching the cat hero almost lazily with how cocky he was acting. “Fine, I will take care of you myself. You are soft and weak, and my kingdom has no place for people like you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Noire took up the first stance she’d done again, watching her opponent carefully. “How xenophobic of you, hating on the immigrant.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” The akuma stopped in his surprise. “No, what? That’s not-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Boo, this dude hates immigrants.” The cat taunted, slowly circling him. “Racist ass knight man.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The akuma growled from within his armour, raising his sword. “Lies! How dare you slander my name on the birthing grounds of my kingdom!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Birthing grounds? What the fuck, that sounds nasty as hell.” Apparently that was enough to drive him over the edge. The akuma trust his sword at the cat, only for her to use her staff to boost her jump, dodging it. The sword wedged itself in the grout of the brick wall housing the stairs, not budging when the akuma tried to pull it free.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chartreux, balancing on top of her staff, barked out a laugh. She swung her legs down, snapping the sword right in half with her sneakers. Kim scrambled to his feet, spilling his magical popcorn as he got his yo-yo out to purify the akuma flying out from the broken sword. Kim looped back for his popcorn bucket, tossing it up. As he activated his cure, a rain of popcorn fell around them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Miraculous Ladybug!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Caline didn’t want to sound rude, but she saw the election results coming the moment the four candidates volunteered. She cared for all of her students and knew they were all destined for great things, but they were also young and predictable in their behaviours.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim had been very excited to go first, and ended using his whole time block talking about having mandatory competitive sport events each week where the winner would get to replace their lowest grade with a perfect mark. Chloe went next, and she seemed to at least genuinely try this year. Her speech was an actual speech and not a series of threats or reminders of who her father is, but she didn’t actually have many new ideas aside from a suggestion box.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Poor Juleka was shaking as a leaf during her turn. The words she actually did speak were quiet and incomprehensible, but Caline recognized some of the motions she was making with her hands as sign language. She cursed herself for only knowing the bare minimum, making a reminder to make an effort to take up learning it again. Needless to say, though, it seemed only Rose understood any of Juleka’s proposals.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That left Marinette. She had an aura of confidence that wasn’t usually present with her, and spoke clearly and with purpose. So, yeah, it was no surprise she won. Promising to listen to the wishes of her classmates was a pretty good platform.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Caline sighed behind her hands, watching her students file out excitedly congratulating their new representative. Marinette would do well, and with Alya as her deputy, Caline had no doubt that she wouldn’t have to worry about not hearing about the troubles of her students. There was one thing she wanted to do before getting ready to go home, however.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Juleka!” The girl startled when her name was called, both her and Rose coming to a halt just at the base of the steps to their seat in the back. Caline straightened in her seat, trying to look as proud and comforting as possible. “I just wanted you to know how proud I am of you. You should be proud of what you accomplished, okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl blinked back at her for a moment. She offered a shaky smile when Rose nudged her out of her stupor, nodding softly. She raised one hand up to cover her chin, lowering it in an outwards arc, palm up. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Thank you</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ah, Caline knew this. She mimicked the motion, smiling at Juleka. “You’re welcome.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rose gasped, shaking the taller girl’s arm in excitement. “Jules, oh my god!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know much right now, but I’m going to start learning again, so feel free to use sign with me when you don’t feel comfortable speaking, okay?” The goth teen nodded quickly, her visible eye lighting up as she slutches at the strap of her bag. “Now have a good night you two, I’ll see you tomorrow, yes?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good night, Ms Bustier!” Rose cheered, practically dragging her much taller friend with her as she skipped out the door. Those two were so sweet, Caline hoped they’d figure out how well they went together eventually. They seemed like one of those forever duos, one way or another. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Although, she knew perfectly well herself that sometimes that forever was weak and frail. A forever made a sand, held together with childish dreams and ignorance. Caline knew that forever was just a fool’s wish, but if anyone deserved for their forevers to last, it was her group of endearing asshole students.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ahaha here it is! Woop woop! This one was actually surprisingly easy to write? Like yeah, it still wasn't done in a weak like I hoped, but much better than last time haha</p>
<p>Somehow Darkblade became a Juleka episode? Don't ask me how I guess I was just in a Juleka mood lmao</p>
<p>And the Luka cameo! I had to add my homeboy Luka, he should've been there to meet his hero, it would've been perfect</p>
<p>Next up is Guitar Villain, oh boy! That one's going to be fun, Jagged coming back for his third chapter in a row</p>
<p>But yeah that's it for this one, let me know what you thought of it!</p>
        </blockquote><div class="children module" id="children">
  <b class="heading">Works inspired by this one:</b>
  <ul>
    <li>
        <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27701474">Sleepy Time</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cam_P_Bells/pseuds/Cam_P_Bells">Cam_P_Bells</a>
    </li>
  </ul>
</div></div></div>
</body>
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